SUNY Geneseo has joined world leaders at the United Nations to adopt the 2030 Agenda for Sustainable Development. The new interactive storytelling map shares the college's efforts locally and throughout the world.
Geneseo, N.Y. — As a participant of the U.N. Global Compact, SUNY Geneseo has joined world leaders at the United Nations in adopting the 2030 Agenda for Sustainable Development to end poverty, protect the planet and ensure prosperity for all.
The college has created an innovative way to share how Geneseo addresses the goals through curriculum, integrated learning opportunities, research, international and local service and other efforts. Geneseo website visitors can explore how the college and alumni are leading sustainability efforts on campus and throughout the world with our interactive storytelling map. Senior geography major Miles Druce built the map.
Visitors are able to view stories and media by the location of where Geneseo works or by the 17 U.N. goals, which range from reducing inequalities and providing opportunities in education, health, and economic growth, as well as creating sustainable communities and focusing on preservation of natural resources and other areas.
Geneseo is one of just 36 U.S. academic institutions and the only SUNY school in the compact. As the largest global movement of sustainable companies and stakeholders, the compact draws support from 170 countries and includes companies, foundations and organizations such as Coca Cola, Johnson & Johnson, and LG Electronics.
“Our approach to sustainability, here at SUNY Geneseo, is comprehensive and holistic,” says Dan DeZarn, director of sustainability. “We work to blend infrastructure and facilities projects with curriculum and student engagement through tours and internships. We engage our surrounding community by giving workshops and presentations on our initiatives. We have succeeded in pushing this passion out to the world at large through study about programs, relief trips and research.”
Geneseo is known for its commitment to sustainability efforts, including a decade-long partnership for Hurricane Katrina recovery, research to combat cancer and other illnesses, and constructing energy-efficient and green buildings on campus: This is the first time all of the sustainability efforts have been collected in one place.
The tool was launched Sept. 21, as Kris Dreessen, project creator and manager of editorial services, represented Geneseo at the U.N. Global Compact Leaders Summit in New York City.
This fall, Geneseo will lead sessions on the college’s comprehensive sustainability efforts at two conferences:
• In October, DeZarn will lead a session about how Geneseo integrates sustainability into the student experience and curriculum at the conference of the American Association for the Advancement of Sustainability in Higher Education.
• In November, DeZarn, Dreessen and Druce will lead a similar session with emphasis on the storytelling map at the New York Coalition for Sustainability in Higher Education at SUNY Cortland.