Peer Leader: Sustainability Assistant (STA)

The Peer Leader Program serves to synthesize the work of these 11 offices into one developmental experience for students’ current and prospective aspirations. These roles not only allow students the platform to work with staff to create programming, resources, and peer support for the campus community but also offer students opportunities to think critically about and commit diligently to their own development and skill attainment. 

As a Sustainability Assistant (STA) in the Peer Leader Program, you will serve as a catalyst for environmental and social change at Carleton. STAs carry out projects that engage students and offices across campus in sustainability. In this role, you are a peer educator and advocate, moving the needle on our college-wide sustainability goals, which bridge campus and community. The need to reduce emissions and support resilience to the climate impacts we face calls for increased collaboration.  We seek STAs who are ready to foster both individual and collective accountability in creating a more sustainable and just future.

STA Focus Areas

Applicants will typically specialize in one of the following tracks:

• Food Systems: Facilitate collaborations that reduce campus food emissions and support local food sovereignty. Key projects include analyzing dining service emissions, collaborating with the Student Farm, and developing programming that honors the food access needs and cultural interests of our community.
• Climate Communication: Expand climate literacy by highlighting local challenges—from flooding and heat waves to the loss of winter recreation. This team manages outreach initiatives and produces a radio show featuring campus and local experts taking climate action.
• Zero Waste: Advance Carleton’s zero-waste goals by collaborating with custodial waste busters, student development, and auditing waste contamination, and developing outreach for systems like "Green-to-Go" and Useful reusable containers. This team applies the Zero Waste hierarchy to address consumption and the environmental injustices of downstream waste.
• Energy & Operations: Support campus decarbonization by analyzing energy, building, and transportation data. Example activities include synthesizing transportation surveys to identify commuting trends and researching embodied carbon in building materials to inform campus policy.
• Community Science: Lead regular monitoring of the Cannon River (clarity, temperature, and nitrates). This team engages with local partners for water sampling and organizes public events that connect watershed health to broader climate resilience.

Examples of Specific Duties  

As an STA, you will be responsible for driving progress within your specific focus area while contributing to the overall success of the Sustainability Office. Your core duties include:

• Design and execute programming and outreach initiatives tailored to your focus area (e.g., Food Systems, Zero Waste, etc.) to engage the broader Carleton community.
• Collect and analyze sustainability data—such as emissions reports, transportation surveys, or food waste audits—to identify trends and inform campus-wide recommendations.
• Act as a bridge between the Sustainability Office and the campus community by meeting with student groups, faculty, and staff to cultivate collaborative, "connected" projects.
• Lead the planning and logistical execution of key events, workshops, and meetings, including major highlights like Climate Action Week and Northfield Earth Day.
• Facilitate weekly office hours to provide a welcoming space for peer collaboration, support student-led inquiries, and support projects in sustainability across campus and community. 
• Actively participate in weekly STA team meetings and focus area meetings to develop and carry out projects. 
• Maintain organized program documentation and institutional memory within the Google Team Drive, ensuring that focus area progress and special projects are well-documented for future peer leaders.

 Essential Skills and Abilities: 

• A strong willingness to learn and build professional skills in sustainability, environmental justice, and community outreach.
• Excellent oral and written skills, with the ability to translate content for a general audience.
• A commitment to inclusion, diversity, and equity, with interest in making sustainability accessible.  

Minimum Qualifications: 

Required: 

• Student at Carleton College

Preferred: 

• Experience in classes or clubs that engaged sustainability, environmental, or climate change issues, or that supported community organizing around local issues
• Experience with outreach or communication projects
• Experience with website design and social media

Application Resources

We recommend that applicants make an appointment or visit SCA drop-in hours to review application materials before submitting. Appointments can be made with an SCA or a career coach via Handshake.

Carleton is committed to providing access, equal opportunity, and reasonable accommodation for individuals with disabilities in employment, its services, programs, and activities. To request reasonable accommodation regarding this position, email OAR@carleton.edu, contact Sam Thayer (sthayer@carleton.edu, phone number: 507-222-4464) or Elijah Genheimer (egenheimer@carleton.edu, phone number: 507-222-4500).

By submitting the Peer Leader application, you acknowledge that there will be a review of your student records for any misconduct/policy violations more serious in nature. Contact Amy Sillanpa, Assistant Dean of Students/Director of Community Standards, at asillanp@carleton.edu with any questions.

Please reach out to Lillian Fisher ’25 (fisherl3@carleton.edu), or the Sustainability Office’s email (sustainability@carleton.edu) if you have any questions.