Co-curricular learning experiences for undergraduates can enhance student learning and provide valuable professional experience. This field report will explore a Sustainable Lab Consultant program designed by and for The Pennsylvania State University’s Sustainable Lab Program. The rationale for the program’s design and outcomes for both participating students and research labs will be shared.

Because research activity contributes to sustainability challenges due to its inherently energy- and resource-intensive nature, Penn State partnered with nonprofit My Green Lab and adopted its certification program. Two central questions guided the development of a unique approach to supporting participating labs through the program:
• Where could students and an educational component be incorporated into sustainable lab efforts?
• Would the involvement of a student in supporting lab certification result in measurable benefits compared to labs without such support?

The result is a distinctive co-curricular work experience in which students are hired and trained as Sustainable Lab Consultants to support lab certification efforts over the course of an academic year.
This field report will describe essential elements of the students training program and activities. It will offer tips for structuring a co-curricular experience that enhances student learning and professional skills, results in transformative learning for students, and supports labs in identifying and implementing more sustainable practices without compromising research quality.

An evaluation of the program’s educational and professional development outcomes will identify essential elements for successful replication at other institutions. This session provides a sneak peek into an article that is awaiting publication and will invite questions, constructive criticism, and collaboration.