Our Mission & Vision
Mission
The mission of the California Student Sustainability Coalition is to unite and empower California's community of higher education to collaboratively and nonviolently transform our selves and our institutions based on our inherent social, economic, and ecological responsibilities.
Vision
There is no single vision of the CSSC. The vision of the CSSC is a collective vision created by the CSSC members annually. Instead of a fixed vision, ours will be an evolving one.
The unifying bond that enables alignment and synergy amongst all our distinct visions is our commitment to a common set of guiding principles, and a desire to see many visions for cultural and planetary healing come to life. Here are some highlights from our annual vision rounds over the years.
Summer 2007 to Summer 2008 Collective Vision of CSSC
At our Summer Leadership Retreat we took some time to do a round and have everybody express their individual vision of the CSSC for the coming year. The resulting list of individual visions then became our collective vision for this year. At the Summer Leadership Retreat 2008, we will do another round and revise our vision.
- Want to see a functioning collaborative core that is active and empowered and is a resource for other groups to be inspired by.
- Evolving to support the local actions to grow in their effectiveness.
- Continuing to have great relationships with statewide administrators.
- Learning more about and connecting with social movements as well.
- A united group of people (located in the earth region of what is called California) who inspire and empower their community to make their own clothes, grow their own food and build there own homes to the greatest degree possible. Inspiring this community by being our selves the peaceful, truthful and compassionate people that we wish to see in the world.
- For the CSSC to be a youth movement that goes above and beyong being leaders that implement enviro policy, but becoming a model for progressing the values of equity and justice throughtout the world.
- To be a revolutionary student org that has a strong united student force which admins have to take into consideration due to our size, but that they also want to work with us because we have a new style of non-antagonistic but collaborative frame.
- Making the right actions convenient for everyone, not just those of us who are already aware of the necessity.
- Motivating people that change can be made, fight apathy, and inspire others.
- Hard to put into words but its about student voice statewide – having that presence to address these issues at a larger level.
- Recognizing that it is a student voice, we can continually define sustainability to make sure its all inclusive and contains everything that needs to be there, especially in terms of economics, family, social justice, etc.
- To transcend the need for the CSSC.
- To be positive change agents for our selves and our communities; broad based but locally driven, to have fun but be organized and strategic, to use our power to empower and get to the root of the issues, to use our powers to inspire others to do the same, to always be critical of ourselves and be humble.
- A multidisciplinary collective working on issues of socially responsible business, technology, community building, leadership, etc such that we can create a culture shift to go from humans as separate from nature to humans as nature and nature as beings – to call it a social movement that everyone should respect all life.
- A community where local action can be united to affect statewide change
- To demonstrate leadership in the true definition of human rights and expanding that definition to incorporate indigenous philosophies of inclusion into everything we do. To learn from the elders of human culture and the ways they have sustained themselves and their environments, to be radical and fearless,
- To involve all California students including CSUs city colleges, and private schools. That it is a strong network and coalition for collaborative social and environmental change. To share resources and skills and to have the capacity to coordinate across the state and express this strong, united student voice into the future.
- To think of this organization not on a regional basis but on a state basis and for all of us to pick up some drums and walk down the streets.
- Will work collaboratively within the UC system and externally throughout California to transform education in the institutions and organizations and be collectively involved for a sustainable present and restorative future through ecological health, economic equality and cooperative social justivce.
- Echo what’s been said – revolution, cultural transformation, social justice, human rights – amazed at how strong that social justice component is infused throughout the group. Want to transfer this positive vibe and energy to other groups and organizations.
- See it as a pool of ideas and experiences that all the other student orginzers on other campuses can draw on.
- To make ecological and social sustainability a part of our framework for thought and discourse at all levels including both students and community members – making it part of our mindset, making it second nature
- To have united leaders institutionalize sustainability, social equity and social justice and to transform California education systems, California, the US, and the world.
- A requirement in GE for all incoming freshmen and on down to HS students about sustainability education; to inspire the faculty and administration to incorporate this into their teaching; CSSC members becoming the future educators and business leaders of our world; sponsoring campaigns in California and worldwide; being liaisons to all different types of movement and reaching out through the media and making sure at every step to celebrate life.
- This is where young people really have a chance to step up, especially those who might not have other means to do so. that has lifelong impacts on our participants’ lives
- The CSSC as the space where our movement comes together – its about creating community to support brilliant ideas, inspired people, and collective action for the common good. The medium in which seeds of transformation can grow, as well as the sunlight, air, and water to nurture those seeds to life. A space for the sharing of ideas and information and for building the connections between all nodes on the network of this movement.
Summer 2006 to Summer 2007 Collective Vision of CSSC
- Tool for students to use to create the change they want to see
- For sustainability to become second nature for people
- Sustainability as a moving target; Sustainability as a process; always something to improve and change
- A conduit thru which students could change their community, and participate and be empowered and encouraged to be a part of decision-making in their communities
- A place for students to come together and discuss the philosophical issues that are at hand, the state and fate of the world, etc
- To one day have no need for the CSSC; to do such a good job that we work ourselves out of business
- Reach out to other generations
- For our organization to be sustainable in terms of our membership base
- Instill the appreciation of nature in young and old alike – especially children though
- Prevent a “baseline shift” – whereby new membership has different values than the founders; acceptance of greater levels of destruction, desensitization
- Sustainability GE
- Work closely with AASHE
- Creation of community
- Information sharing and communication across campuses, etc
- Be the change you want to see in the world
- For the CSSC to be an organization that is dynamic, alive, adaptable, capable of evolving continuously towards our vision
- Have a positive but realistic outlook
- For each of us and for the organization to be as sustainable as possible socially and environmentally
- Humility
- Graduates would continue to make change in their personal and professional lives beyond the CSSC
- Maintain tangible connection to the environment throughout the process
- For CSSCers to understand their connection to the larger process/movement
- All people have a role to play in sustainability
- Ensuring a space for both grad students and undergrads to work
- Collaboration amongst all CA universities and their communities
- Leadership training, mentorship, & experiential education
