Working Together

Developing more sustainable communities is vital to strengthening our economy, enhancing everyday life, and providing a foundation for lasting prosperity. Opportunities abound to make urban regions more livable, including reducing air pollution, education on sustainable development, and service learning opportunities.

Education on Sustainable Development (RCE North Texas)

RCE North Texas is one of the 175 RCE’s worldwide founded in March 2019 at the University of Texas at Arlington. RCE North Texas is a network of 75 multidisciplinary stakeholders, including higher education institutions, businesses, non-governmental organizations, community associations, and local, regional, state and federal government agencies. The North Texas RCE comprises the sixteen counties of North Texas. Our region has grown dramatically over the past forty years, with growth projections indicating a more than doubling in population size from the current 7.2 million residents by the year 2050. In this rapid growth scenario, how will North Texas fare and grow in a sustainable manner as it confronts exploding population projections and associated environmental, economic and social challenges. RCE North Texas is an influencer in the community as cities expand, providing the resources to maximize the potential economic opportunity that well-managed communities can offer and be a conduit for trans-formative education in North Texas. We are focused on the following SDGs, deemed priority for our region. 

Texas Regional Alliance for Campus Sustainability (TRACS)

The Texas Regional Alliance for Campus Sustainability (TRACS) is a network of faculty members, students and sustainability professionals supporting higher education in Texas by implementing climate change and sustainability solutions across campus operations, academic curriculum and off-campus fields of influence. TRACS facilitates collaboration between higher education institutions through a variety of means including the Annual TRACS Summit. TRACS is supported by volunteer members representing Texas colleges and universities. 

Air North Texas 

Air North Texas is a regional public awareness campaign and partnership that seeks to improve air quality in North Texas. Ten counties in North Texas fall under non-attainment for the pollutant ozone, according to the Environmental Protection Agency (EPA). North Texas must meet ozone emissions standards as set by the EPA. The Air North Texas campaign was created to help alleviate the air quality problem in our regionThe campaign was formed by the North Central Texas Council of  Governments with support of a task force made up of government agencies, nonprofit organizations, transportation authorities and others. UT Arlington is a member of this initiative and works towards education UTA community about the benefits of good air quality through developing PSA and social media engagement. 

Advancing Sustainability in Higher Education

UT Arlington is a member of AASHE (Association for Advancement of Sustainability in Higher Education) since 2009. AASHE empowers higher education faculty, administrators, staff and students to be effective change agents and drivers of sustainability innovation. AASHE works with and for higher education to ensure that our world’s future leaders are motivated and equipped to solve sustainability challenges.

Service Learning

Service learning integrates community service into academic coursework, whereby students engage in classroom activities and reflection related to the performance of local service projects within the course. More than a volunteer opportunity, service learning benefits both the student and the community partner through reciprocity of needs, which furthers the students’ educational goals while promoting civic responsibility. From focused collaboration with classmates and the community partner, to practical, real-world application, along with reflection and assessment, the learning process becomes a much richer and more well-rounded experience. The Faculty Fellows Program at UT Arlington is a semester-long program for any full-time UTA faculty interested in integrating service learning into their courses.  The annual Partner Breakfast brings together UT Arlington faculty, staff, and administrators with regional nonprofit community agencies, providing a unique opportunity for collaboration in service-learning projects within UT Arlington academic courses. You can fill out partner application here

If you are looking for student interns, please fill out this form

If you are looking to hire, please create a registration and you can post open position

If you need student volunteers, please fill out this form . The event will be posted on this Facebook Page