Pledge
From Sustainability
A Pledge of Social and Environmental Responsibility: The 2007 - 2008 MIT Pledge Effort
 | "I pledge to explore and take into account the social and environmental consequences of any job I consider and will try to improve these aspects of any organization for which I work." |
NEWS
The MIT Pledge Effort gave the Pledge on November 8th. Congratulations to all of our new Pledge Students!
Schedule of Activities
- Shopping and Cooking Food Sustainably @MIT: November 26, 2007, 6:00pm, MIT Room 56-162: Students for Global Sustainability and the Pledge Effort are putting together an event where you can learn how to shop and cook sustainably at MIT. We will be joined by Marietta Buck from Bon Appetit and Will Gilson, head chef at Garden at the Cellar. Refreshments will be provided (apple crisp and apple cider!)
- Career Discussion for Pledge Students: November 29, 2007, 5:30pm, Private: The MIT Pledge Effort will host a career discussion, exclusively for Pledge Students, focusing on how to look for socio-environmentally responsible careers.
- Leading Green@MIT: December 6, 2007, 5:00pm, PDR 1 and 2 (3rd floor MIT Student Center): Students for Global Sustainability and the Pledge Effort are hosting an event where you gain an understanding of what it means to take personal leadership in sustainability. You will be helped on this mission by current MIT student and staff leaders in the environment!
Past Activities
- Take the Pledge! November 8, 2007, 6:30pm: MIT Pledge Effort gave the opportunity for students of all class years (grads and undergrads) to take the Pledge. Our keynote speaker was Nicki Lehrer, Aero/Astro student and founder of the non-profit Children of Guayaquil. Click here for just a few notes from the discussion portion of the event on what sustainability can mean and how to practice it at MIT.
- Making a Difference One Step at a Time: October 25, 2007, 6:00pm, 1-246 The MIT Pledge Effort had a great event with Steve Lanou on small things one can do to practice social and environmental responsibility. View his presentation here (0.9 meg PowerPoint file).
- Bringing Renewable Power to Nicaragua: October 11, 2007, 6:00pm, 56-114: The MIT Pledge Effort hosted Mathias Craig SM '03, co-founder and Executive Director of blueEnergy, in a room packed with people from MIT and other universities. Download Mathias's presentation here (22 meg Powerpoint).
- The Pledge at the International Development Fair: DATE CORRECTION: October 5, 2007, 1 - 3pm, Lobby 13: The MIT Pledge Effort participated in the International Development fair and networked with lots of people from MIT and beyond.
- LOCATION CHANGE: September 11, 2007, 5:30pm, R&D Common, Stata Center Floor 4: The Pledge Effort planned out its fall semester. We look forward to meeting you at our events!
- August 31, 2007, 4 - 6:30pm, Johnson Athletics Center: The Pledge Effort was at the table of Students for Global Sustainability during the ASA Midway. Over 20 people joined our announcement list!
What is The Pledge?
Awareness of actions and bigger-picture consequences goes beyond course education and student groups. To truly make a positive impact on the world, individuals have to make social and environmental responsibility a lifestyle. One way to actualize this lifestyle is through the taking of a pledge. The Pledge of Social and Environmental Responsibility (or simply, The Pledge) encourages grad students and undergrads to practice social and environmental responsibility in their work and connect with others who do the same. MIT's Pledge Effort hosts events exploring what social and environmental responsibility is as well as opportunities for students to meet and interact with like-minded individuals. At the end of the academic year, the Effort hosts a confirmation ceremony where graduating Pledge Students become Pledge Graduates and receive a green ribbon to wear during Commencement, a certificate, and a wallet card as permanent reminders of their commitment.
MIT's Pledge Effort is a member of the Graduation Pledge Alliance, a network of dozens of schools around the world where students take the Pledge.
Interested in taking the Pledge?
Sign up on our announcement list, a very low-traffic mailing list where we announce events related to socio-environmental responsibility! We will offer the Pledge to MIT students in the spring of 2008.
Interested in helping or being a Pledge Ambassador?
We welcome passionate believers interested in spreading the word of the Pledge and what it stands for. If you'd like to participate, please contact the Pledge planners.
Pledge Students, Pledge Graduates, and Pledge Ambassadors
We engage students of all classes all year round, encouraging them to practice social and environmental responsibility in their UROPs, research and teaching assistantships, internships, and future careers. At select events throughout the year, the Pledge Effort gives students the opportunity to take the Pledge.
- Pledge Students have taken the Pledge and are learning how to practice social and environmental responsibility in their work.
- Pledge Graduates are MIT alums who practice social and environmental responsibility in their careers. They are listed in MIT's Alumni Database with the "Graduation Pledge Alliance" student group tag (in the "Activism" category).
- Pledge Ambassadors are Pledge Students or Graduates that help the Pledge Effort spread the word of the Pledge and what it stands for. Look for their green ribbons!
Got a Facebook account?
Join the Graduation Pledge Facebook group, created for Pledge-takers and supporters worldwide!
The MIT Pledge Effort Is:
- Caitlin (Coordinator)
- Kathreen
- Megan (Pledge Liaison to the Technology and Culture Forum)
- Beth (Pledge Liaison to the MIT Energy Initiative's Education Office)
Contact us at pledge-planners@mit.edu!
MIT Pledge Effort Photo Gallery
View all of our pictures on Photobucket!
The Pledge Ambassadors
Our Pledge Ambassadors have made a personal commitment to take the Pledge, follow its values, and spread word of the Pledge Effort through the halls of MIT. Look for their green ribbons! Click their names to see why they are taking the Pledge.
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| Kathreen: Junior, Course XXII | Kendra: Junior, Course I | Joe H: Grad, Course XV |
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| Jialan: 4th Year Grad, Course XV | Lynette: 3rd Year Grad, Course II | Joe: Senior, Course X |
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| Steven: Course XI 1998 |
Sustainability: It's Personal
Making sustainability a reality takes real people who respect humanity and the environment.
Download the large version of the poster here!
Past Pledge Efforts
Take a look at past Pledge Efforts to see all of the exciting places the MIT Pledge has been!
Pledge Coalition, Constitution, and Report
The following organizations are dedicated to ensuring continuity of the Pledge at MIT, and we are grateful for their involvement.
- Students for Global Sustainability
- The Technology and Culture Forum
- The MIT Energy Initiative's Education Office
MIT's Pledge Effort was born out of the MIT Generator in the spring of 2007 and is a Generator working group. Read the Pledge Constitution here (PDF), and read a September 25 2007 report of the MIT Pledge Effort here (PDF, 7.5 meg).
Press
MIT's Pledge Effort has been mentioned in the media a number of times:
- MIT grads pledge to take environment into account in job searches (Boston Metro, June 5, 2007)
- Green ribbons signify responsibility pledge (MIT News Office, June 6, 2007)
