1. Growing a
Student Environmental
Resource Center
Hanna Morris
Manon von Kaenel
Katherine Walsh

2. AGENDA
A Brief History
Determining a Need for a Center
Challenges
Mission and Objectives
Growing Support and Partnerships
Success
Learning Outcomes
What’s Next?
Q&A

3. A BRIEF HISTORY
Hired staff Director in December 2013 and
officially became a functional area within the
LEAD Center, a unit of the ASUC Student Union.
Functioned as a student org with advising from
TGIF Coordinator; hired student staff to
implement programming.
Received funding from The Green Initiative Fund
(TGIF) and the Chancellor’s Advisory Committee
on Student Services and Fees (CACSSF).
Established in 2012 by students.
2012-2013 Directors
2013-2014 Directors

4. DETERMINING NEED FOR A CENTER
Student
Environmental
Resource
Center
The Green
Initiative Fund
(TGIF) needed a
relatable team in
the LEAD Center.
UC Berkeley offers 546
sustainability courses and
74 sustainability degree
programs- represents 20%
of graduates.
UC Berkeley has 40-50 environmental and sustainability focused
student organizations who need advising and support for leadership
development, collaboration, projects, campaigns, etc.
LEAD Center aims to
provide leadership
development, advising,
and support for individual
students, student orgs,
student government, and
campus communities.
TGIF has funded
over 220 student
sustainability
internships.

5. CHALLENGES
Developing a mission, goals, strategic plan, and brand.
Determining scope of SERC and its services.
Securing a University Departmental home.
Securing student engagement and buy-in to SERC.
Developing partnerships.
Hiring staff (students and career staff).
Securing sustainable funding.
Securing permanent campus space.
Transitioning from an independent student organization to a
University-supported center.

6. MISSION
The Student Environmental Resource Center (SERC)
cultivates a collaborative space to strengthen the
collective effectiveness of the sustainability
community, and provides resources for students to
actualize their visions of a more equitable, socially
just, and resilient future.

7. OBJECTIVES
To provide institutional memory and leadership transition support for
student orgs, projects, and initiatives
To cultivate safe space for civil discourse and the expression of diverse
opinions
To engage students in applied and active education
To create a collaborative working space
To provide advising, financial, and leadership development resources to
students
To offer educational programming and skills-based trainings
To communicate student-focused resources and opportunities
To build community centered on visions of a more equitable, socially just,
and resilient future

8. GROWING SUPPORT & PARTNERSHIPS
 College of Natural Resources
 Career Center
 LEAD Center and ASUC Student
Union
 Campus Recycling and Refuse
Services
 Office of Sustainability
 Environmental and
Sustainability Student
Organizations
 Berkeley Climate Action
Coalition
 California Student
Sustainability Coalition
Who shares
similar
values and
objectives?
Whose work
aligns with
SERC’s
mission?
What can
SERC offer a
potential
partner?
What can a
potential
partner offer
SERC?

9. SUCCESS
Over 30 events
hosted and co-
sponsored.
Sent 10 students
to PowerShift
2014.
Secured
temporary
space in two
locations
Launched the
SERC Blog and
Words of the
Watershed Journal
SERC students
taught four
semester-long
“DeCal” classes.
Co-hosted a “Mondo
Banana” screening
with the SF Green
Film Festival.
Hired a full-time
staff director,
became official
campus unit.
Secured over
$230,000 in
grant funding to
date.

10. DEVELOPING LEARNING OUTCOMES
Each student will be able to define sustainability and the 3 E's and explain
their interrelation.
Students will identify careers and professional opportunities that align
with their personal values and goals.
Students will learn to gather and organize information relevant to subject
matter, critically analyze environmental and sustainability media, and
construct informative and convincing journalism and audio-visual stories.
Each ECO Advisory Council Member will demonstrate the ability to garner
support for change through communication skills, consensus building
strategies, and respect for the ideas and differences of others.
Each student will learn how to apply concepts of sustainability to their
campus and community by engaging in the challenges and solutions of
sustainability on their campus. (ACPA)

11. WHAT’S NEXT?
• The Green Initiative Fund
• Zero Waste Research Center
• Nature Village: Sustainable Living
Program
• SERC Workshop Series
• ECO Advisory Council
• SERC Career Series
• SERC Film Series
• Social Greens
• 5 DeCals
• SERC Blog
• Words of the Watershed Journal
• California Student Sustainability
Coalition Representation
• Earth Week & Food Month
Leadership
• Green Certification for Student
Orgs
• The Den: Sustainability Projects
Clearinghouse
• Environmental & Sustainability
Organization Database
• Advertising for student activities
• Peer and staff advising for
students and student orgs
• Support for student attendance
at conferences and trainings
• Connections with environmental
and sustainability resources

12. CONTACT INFORMATION
Student Environmental Resource Center
Hearst Gym 102 MC 4500
Berkeley, CA 94720
serc@berkeley.edu
510-643-2992
http://serc.berkeley.edu
QUESTIONS?