This summer, ISSS launched the Global Terps for a Greener Future initiative, a year-long project designed to create opportunities for UMD students to strengthen their intercultural competence while advancing sustainability in international education. The project, supported by a grant from the Office of Sustainability, began with the dedicated work of two summer interns: Abigail Vanasse (Information Science major, Sustainability Studies minor) and Mikhil Choda (Computer Science major).

Over eight weeks, Abigail and Mikhil partnered with the Engagement and Inclusion team to research global models of university sustainability and lay the foundation for meaningful, lasting practices on campus and beyond. Their work involved identifying common sustainability values, highlighting areas where UMD is leading internationally—such as achieving carbon neutrality—and drafting recommendations to guide progress in environmental stewardship and future collaborations.

As part of their efforts, the interns took the initiative to develop educational resources for both international students and the broader UMD community. They also framed key questions to spark dialogue around sustainability from an intercultural perspective, emphasizing the importance of shared responsibility and global cooperation. Specifically, Abigail developed and led an insightful waste management presentation during the International Student Orientation, which explained the campus waste sorting system and enabled newly arrived students to understand the infrastructure in place to reduce the environmental impact of our community. They also created a hands-on waste sorting activity as an education tool that reached more than 200 students during the Orientation days. Abigail’s comprehensive sustainability literacy campaign led to a crucial effort to provide environmental sustainability information from the very beginning of a student's academic journey. Mikhil, on the other hand, leveraged the use of digital technologies to invite students to become involved in sustainability efforts on campus. He developed a social media campaign that will be rolled out during the fall semester and helped with the creation of the GTGF promotional materials.

By the end of the summer, Abbey and Mikhil had advanced plans for a sustainability literacy campaign and strategies to host large-scale international education events with a reduced environmental footprint. They conducted analysis and recommendations on best practices to reduce waste, to engage the campus community on volunteering opportunities to advance sustainable development, and informed ISSS of potential collaborations to broaden its work of serving the international community, with a focus on global stewardship as a core value. The summer interns' contributions mark a crucial first step in reimagining international education as a pillar of a sustainable future for all.