Sustainability Ambassadors advance Charlotte’s sustainability goals

Charlotte’s faculty and staff can help promote a culture of sustainability on campus through the Sustainability Ambassadors program, a professional development initiative for employees administered through the Office of Sustainability.

The program gives participants an opportunity to learn about the University’s sustainability goals and practices, promote a culture of sustainability on campus and make a positive difference within their departments and beyond. It also supports the University’s strategic plan to “create a culture where all University employees and students embrace their roles for achieving sustainability goals.”

“When employees understand how their daily decisions connect to the University’s sustainability priorities, real change becomes possible,” said Jenny Washam, communications and employee engagement coordinator. “Ambassadors play a vital role in making sustainability visible, practical and achievable.”

Ambassadors often engage in hands-on projects that connect personal experience with campuswide sustainability efforts. One example is the Climate Change Quilt, a collaborative art project supported by a Charlotte Green Initiative Grant funded by SGA student fees. Through the project, the campus community is invited to create quilt squares that reflect their relationship to climate change.

For Christin Lampkowski, emerging technologies librarian, the project has become a powerful way to merge her sustainability values with her work supporting creative learning. Area 49’s Makerspace provides sewing machines, fabric scraps and other materials that make it an ideal location for quilt‑making sessions.

“The Sustainability Ambassador program helped me identify even more ways to bring sustainability into my professional life,” Lampkowski said. Area 49 has since added recycling stations and a Weird Recycling Bin for student projects, and she has incorporated sustainability themes into the classes and workshops she teaches.

Her ambassador experience also strengthened her collaboration with the Office of Sustainability. “Now when opportunities like the quilt project come up, they know they can reach out to me and Area 49,” she said.

Area 49 is also available to work with student organizations interested in scheduling a workshop for their members, as well as faculty who want to incorporate this project, creative reuse or quilting as a medium for message sharing into their courses. Email AtkinsArea49@charlotte.edu.

For Rachel Engstrom, costume lab supervisor and lecturer in the College of Arts + Architecture, the quilt project became a meaningful way to connect her professional skills with her passion for sustainability. She assisted with several quilt workshops, helping participants learn how to use the sewing machines and construct squares for the collaborative initiative.

“Environmental sustainability has always been part of my life and I strongly believe that we need to take care of the Earth,” she said. “The sustainability ambassadors program has allowed me to make professional connections with colleagues of a similar mindset and has also given me information and resources that I can share with my peers and colleagues.”

She encourages faculty and staff who are considering the program to take the leap. “I would encourage any colleague that is considering becoming a Sustainability Ambassador to do it sooner rather than later.”

Learn more about the Sustainability Ambassadors program on the Office of Sustainability website. Applications for the 2026-27 cohort are open until Monday, Sept. 14.