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AIFS Abroad is committed to sustainability, environmental responsibility, and climate action. As part of our Green Initiative, we are proud to offer the Green Ambassador Scholarship to participants who share our passion for creating a greener future.
AIFS Abroad Green Ambassador scholarship recipients are expected to collaborate with their on-site staff to plan and execute at least one “green” event during their program. This event should promote sustainability and climate education and awareness. Recipients will also be involved in sustainability-related content creation.
Read on to learn more about our Fall 2024 cohort of Green Ambassadors:
Caitlin Pruitt (she/her), Northern Illinois University
AIFS Abroad in Budapest, Hungary | Study Abroad Program
Major: Business Management with an Emphasis in Leadership | Minor: Marketing and Business Innovation and Entrepreneurship
“To be a Green Ambassador in a time where we are seeing so much change in our world is extremely important to me. I am excited to be able to learn and share the efforts we are making towards a better future.”
Since kicking off her fall semester in Budapest, Caitlin has taken note of on-site sustainability efforts and climate action.
“I have actually noticed a lot of sustainability initiatives here in Budapest since arriving. Some things that have really stood out to me are the public transportation options, paper straws, bottle cap tops, and the escalators only going if motion is detected. Having the option to take the tram everywhere you need to go is amazing and heavily used here. The trams do not emit fumes which count as an amazing alternative to help our climate. There is also a ton of walking that is used as a main source of transportation!
Lots of restaurants here and quick stop shops also give out drinks in recyclable cups that include the use of paper straws. This also comes into play with drinks from a bottle always have the cap attached to help reduce littering and plastic waste.”
Sandrine Bélanger, HEC Montreal
AIFS Abroad in Sydney, Australia | Full-Time Internship Program
Major: Master in Management (Strategy)
“[Being a Green Ambassador] means to have a positive influence on the people that I will encounter during this experience. Every seed that I can plant in someone’s head regarding sustainability will be a great achievement for me.”
Since kicking off her fall semester in Sydney, Sandrine has seen her host city make incredible efforts on the sustainability front, but also has assessed areas for improvement that she hopes to make an impact on during her time there.
“I’ve had the opportunity to observe various environmental practices that highlight both the strengths and gaps in local sustainability efforts. From the widespread use of public transportation to the surprisingly minimal presence of recycling and composting, these experiences have been both enlightening and thought-provoking… I’m excited to improve my learnings and leadership in this field!”
In response to the overwhelming global climate crisis, AIFS Abroad has made sustainability a key priority when considering organizational, operational, and programming decisions. We understand that the only way to effectively combat this crisis and mitigate the effects of climate change is to drastically reduce our environmental impact. Therefore, we’ve committed to reaching carbon neutrality by the year 2025.
Our Green Initiative has three pillars:
- Green Business that includes auditing our own business practices and our program partners to reduce our consumption of finite resources and limiting our carbon footprint.
- Sustainability Education for both our program participants, through onsite engagement with local environmental projects, and within our industry as a leader in our field.
- Offsetting Carbon Emissions by purchasing verified carbon credits for all our program participants round trip flights to their program location.