Posted on Jun 13, 2022 | Blog,News
Keep Louisiana Beautiful Welcomes Premier Class of University Affiliates
Keep Louisiana Beautiful (KLB) graduated its first class of University Affiliates with the close of the school year, welcoming Grambling State University, Louisiana State University, Nicholls State University, Tulane University, University of Louisiana at Lafayette (ULL), University of New Orleans, and Xavier University of Louisiana. The KLB University Affiliate program, engaging college students in environmental stewardship and sustainability practices, is now the largest program of its kind in the U.S.
“We are thrilled to welcome these universities into our network and feel certain they are making history as they continuously work to reduce waste on their campuses through the implementation of more sustainable practices,” says Cabell Mouton, KLB’s Affiliate and Grant Director.
The University Affiliates have been meeting monthly for the past eight months to complete training and the outlined requirements. Requirements consisted of identifying an Affiliate point person, forming a steering committee to support and guide the Affiliate, completing a waste audit, completing a litter survey through a newly developed app with ArcGIS created by ULL, and creating a work plan.
The new class of University Affiliates will begin in the Fall of 2022. Invited to apply starting July 15 are two- and four-year colleges committed to continual improvement in sustainability and environmental issues, the promotion of student environmental stewardship and engagement, and strategic outcome measurement. Learn more and apply here.
History of the University Affiliate program:
KLB’s University Affiliate program was developed in 2021 in response to a growing interest in sustainability, waste reduction, and litter prevention at the university level. University of Louisiana at Lafayette, with Keep Louisiana Beautiful as a sub-recipient, secured a $500,000 five-year EPA Gulf of Mexico Trash-Free Waters Grant to create and launch the program, develop a litter assessment app, develop educational training videos for campus communities, and fund grant opportunities for University Affiliates.
As Affiliates, universities benefit from KLB staff support, access to KLB tools and resources, use of data collection processes, educational training, and membership in the KLB University Sustainability Coalition. University Affiliates also have the option to apply for grant programs to support sustainability practices, the reduction of single-use disposables, and litter prevention initiatives.
