Student Groups
We want to engage talented, passionate people to discuss, work together, and help solve challenges in sustainability, energy, and environment on campus. No matter your area of study, you have lots of opportunities to get involved in the campus sustainability sphere.
Directory of Student Organizations
The University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign is home to more than 40,000 undergraduate students, many of whom are passionate about sustainability — as demonstrated by the numerous groups whose work revolves around sustaining our planet. Click through the categories below to discover a group that matches your interests.
Don’t see your group on the list? We want to know! Please email us at sustainability@illinois.edu with information about your organization.
Buildings, Cities, and Communities
- Illinois Solar Decathlon
- Planners Network at UIUC — urban planning for just communities
- US Green Building Council Illinois student chapter
- ECO-MMUNITY — greener lifestyles in University Housing
- Eco-Olympics — energy and water reduction dorm competition
Business and Law
- ActGreen
- Business in Environmental Responsibility (BER)
- Energy & Environment Law Society
- Students for Environmental Concerns — sustainable businesses project group
Eco Cars and Transportation
- Eco Illini Supermileage Car
- Illini Algae Group — green fuels
- Illini EV Concept — hydrogen fuel cell car
- Illini Solar Car
- Illinois Biodiesel Initiative (or iSEE’s IBI page)
- Student Sustainability Committee
Energy
- Eco-Olympics — energy and water reduction dorm competition
- Energy & Environment Law Society
- Illini Algae Group
- Illinois Biodiesel Initiative (or iSEE’s IBI page)
- Illinois Solar Decathlon
- Institute for Solar Photovoltaic Innovation, Research, and Edu-training (InSPIRE)
- Students for Environmental Concerns — Beyond Coal Campaign project group
- Student Sustainability Committee
Engineering
- Engineers Without Borders
- Illini Solar Car
- Illinois Solar Decathlon
- Institute for Solar Photovoltaic Innovation, Research, and Edu-training (InSPIRE)
- International Water Resources Association (IWRA) & the International Association of Hydro-environment Engineering and Research (IAHR)
Natural Resources
Professional Development
- ActGreen — sustainable business
- Energy & Environment Law Society
- U.S. Green Building Council Students — Illinois student chapter
- Planners Network at UIUC — urban planning for just communities
- Student Sustainability Committee
- Student Sustainability Leadership Council (more info on this page, keep scrolling!)
- The Green Observer Magazine
Sustainable Agriculture and Landscapes
- Red Bison — prairie restoration
- Students for Environmental Concerns — sustainable landscapes and food project group
- Student Sustainable Farm — volunteer opportunities
- Planners Network UIUC — urban planning for just communities
- Student Sustainability Committee
Volunteering
- Alpha Phi Omega service fraternity (open to all genders)
- Brands Give Back
- Engineers Without Borders
- Illini Lights Out
- Red Bison
- Students for Environmental Concerns (SECS) — Earth Week and Education project groups
- Student Sustainable Farm
Water
- American Fisheries Society UIUC chapter
- Eco-Olympics — energy and water reduction dorm competition
- International Water Resources Association (IWRA) & International Association of Hydro-environment Engineering and Research (IAHR)
- Student Sustainability Committee
- Water Environment Federation – American Water Works Association (WEF-AWWA) student chapter
Student Sustainability Leadership Council
The Student Sustainability Leadership Council (SSLC) is iSEE’s finger on the pulse of student-led initiatives in sustainability. SSLC — made up of the leaders from numerous campus student organizations focused on sustainability and environment — is a place for student leaders to interact and collaborate. It is also the bridge between iSEE and the student body, serving as a two-way conduit of information and concerns about campus sustainability issues.
Our students want a voice in the decisions being made about how their campus reduces its environmental footprint. In the long run, the SSLC will foster deep collaboration between campus leadership and the student body.
The Council, which has biweekly meetings, takes pride in not only developing student leaders, but actively contributing to and participating in the community’s environmental efforts.
SSLC has its own listserv, distributing information and opportunities quickly to students interested in sustainability. Student organizations also can market upcoming events and recruit volunteers for initiatives. Faculty and staff can offer opportunities to students as well. By improving communication between the different student organizations, SSLC extends its impact and ability to help campus reach its sustainability goals.
Participating SSLC organizations include Illinois Solar Decathlon; Eco-Olympics; ActGreen; Students for Environmental Concerns; the Student Sustainability Committee; Red Bison; the Sustainability Living-Learning Community; the Illinois Biodiesel Initiative; the Illinois Student Government Committee on Environmental Sustainability; Alpha Phi Omega; the Green Observer; and Beyond Coal.
The Student Sustainability Committee (SSC)
At Illinois, each student pays $14 in sustainability fees each semester, which translates into a pool of more than $1 million per year that is allocated annually to sustainable projects on campus. You could help decide how this money is used next! The fund is administered by the Student Sustainability Committee, 12 students appointed on a yearly basis and advised by faculty and staff members. Students can also be a part of the SSC’s working groups that review the projects in depth.