Environmental Resource Center

The Environmental Resource Center (ERC) was established in 1967 and became the student activist wing of the Environmental Studies Department. To serve the SJSU student body and our supporting organizations, we undertake a range of projects each year, including organizing the yearly SJSU Earth Day celebration.

To serve the student body and our supporting organizations, we undertake a range of projects each year. The projects are linked to ENVS 181, a course that students can take for credit (1, 2 or 3 units).

The ERC is run by student directors and supervised by a faculty adviser. In addition to organizing campus events, the ERC works in collaboration with other organizations on our campus, moving towards sustainable use of water, energy, and materials.

Since its beginnings, the ERC has involved a diverse audience of students, faculty, and staff within campus with the help of on-campus and community partners. Some of the projects the ERC worked on:

• Earth Day Resource Fair
• Take Back the Tap
• Ride to School Day
• The Green Office Workshop

Earth Day Resource Fair

The ERC oversees the event the day of and coordinates with 5 on campus partners and invites over 40 vendors to our on-campus resource fair. This event continues the tradition of SJSU alumnus Gaylord Nelson ('39), the co-founder of the original Earth Day in 1970, which ignited a passion in sustainability for 20 million people on college campuses across the nation. Our campus is excited to proudly continue and embrace this part of its environmental and social justice legacy in 2024.

This year the Earth Day Resource Fair is returning on April 18th, 2024, from 10am - 2pm on the Tower Lawn! The event will include speakers, tabling from community organizations and student groups, interactive activities such as: Yoga, sustainable fashion show, guest speakers, live music, free food, and so much more.

The theme this year is “Planet vs. Plastic.” Come ready to start a discussion about what you think the most critical issue in the Environmental Movement!

Take Back the Tap

The Take Back the Tap group host events with a focus on educating the SJSU community about the energy and resources used to bottle water, compared to the same factors for tap water in San José. Students discuss the CSU plastics policy, raffle off water filters and reusable water bottles, while creating conversations about municipal tap water testing and safety compared to bottled water. 

Ride to School Day

Ride to School Day is a project hosted by the ERC in partnership with our
Transportation Solutions office at least twice a semester. We offer free bike tune ups to students, discuss ways to get to campus without using a single occupancy vehicle, and make resources readily available for anyone traveling to and from campus.

The Green Office Workshop

To bolster sustainable staff behavior, The Green Office Workshop gives campus staff and faculty the space to ask campus sustainability questions. Students host a lecture and discussion for staff members on campus, who hope to be the sustainability champion's for their office. After a staff member attends the workshop, students work with the staff member to ensure they have support and are executing the criteria to be a Certified Green Office.

Find us on Instagram and keep up with our upcoming events!