Founded by a group of students with a shared love of nature, USTH EcoClub has grown steadily over the past decade, encouraging students to bring green living into everyday activities. For Vũ Ngọc Minh Châu, the club’s current President, her time with EcoClub began with a connection to the habits she had learned at home. That connection grew stronger through each activity she joined and every friendship she formed at USTH.
A Shared Love of the Environment Builds a Strong Community
Vũ Ngọc Minh Châu, President of USTH EcoClub and a member of its ninth generation, first learned about the club’s early days through stories shared by senior members.
“When I first joined the club, the older members told me that EcoClub had been founded by a small group of students who shared a special interest in the environment,” Châu recalled.
That common interest brought the founding members together and inspired them to organise environmental activities. Over time, the club welcomed new members and continued to grow.
The story felt familiar to Châu because her own love of nature had also developed through small moments at home. As a child, she enjoyed breathing in clean, fresh air. As she grew older, she began noticing how her mother saved plastic bags after shopping and reused them as bin liners. Her mother also brought food containers to the market to reduce the number of plastic bags she received.
These everyday habits taught Châu that caring for the environment could begin with the way people use familiar household items. When she entered USTH and discovered EcoClub during a recruitment campaign, she was immediately drawn to its lively atmosphere and the enthusiasm its members brought to green activities. She joined the club, worked alongside senior members and friends, and later became its President as EcoClub entered its ninth generation.
During her first days at EcoClub, Châu received guidance from senior members as she learned how the club operated, from developing plans and organising events to coordinating across different teams. Their experience helped new members settle into their roles and gradually contribute ideas suited to each activity. As President, Châu hopes to preserve this connection between generations so that everyone entering EcoClub has someone to guide them and an opportunity to contribute in their own way.
Bringing E Living into Student Life
According to Châu, the Green Fair is USTH EcoClub’s largest annual event. The programme centres on the 3Rs: Reduce, Reuse and Recycle. Each edition adopts a different theme, which shapes its setting, games and hands-on activities. Participants can explore environmental ideas through direct experience and remember the message through what they have done.
Preparing this space begins with discussions among club members as they propose ideas, choose a theme and develop a plan together. Each person takes responsibility for part of the event, including preparing content, decorating activity areas, engaging participants and handling unexpected situations on the day.
Throughout the process, members learn to manage their time, coordinate with teammates and follow a plan from its first draft through to completion. They also review their environmental knowledge carefully, as every piece of information shared with participants needs to be clear and practical.
Between major programmes, the club maintains its connection through community activities such as cleaning public areas and organising green book fairs. Members also take part in bonding sessions at parks, where they talk, play games, sing and share stories after class. These gatherings help newcomers become familiar with the group and give long-standing members more time to understand one another outside their assigned tasks. The relaxed atmosphere encourages members to propose ideas, try new responsibilities and meet friends who share their interests.
As members spend more time with EcoClub, they gradually apply what they learn to their daily routines. Some become more aware of the waste they generate, while others begin sorting rubbish properly or carrying reusable items. Châu herself went from paying little attention to waste sorting to actively learning how to do it correctly. These changes begin in everyday life and follow members into their classrooms, events and conversations with friends.
Passing the “Green Spirit” to the Next Generation
After becoming President, Châu took on greater responsibility for connecting members and keeping the club’s activities on track. Together with the Executive Board, she receives guidance from former members, monitors the progress of each programme and creates opportunities for members to participate in different stages of event organisation.
For Châu, the role has helped her strengthen her sense of responsibility and step outside her comfort zone. It has also given her the opportunity to continue the work passed down by the previous eight generations of EcoClub presidents.
“To me, green living begins with small everyday habits,” Châu shared.
For a new member, that habit might begin with putting rubbish in the right bin, carrying reusable items or helping at a booth during the next Green Fair.
EcoClub is currently recruiting its 11th generation of members, with the aim of connecting young people who care about the environment at USTH and across Hanoi. The club welcomes students who have yet to take part in environmental activities. New members can begin by supporting an ongoing programme, learning how to sort waste or adjusting a daily habit.
Senior members will provide guidance throughout the process. Each newcomer will also be encouraged to take initiative, complete their assigned tasks and learn from their first experiences.
In the coming period, EcoClub plans to develop more activities that make green living accessible through practical actions. The Green Fair will continue to explore new themes, while internal programmes and club gatherings will give members opportunities to practise planning, teamwork and event management. EcoClub will also maintain close ties between its generations so that organisational experience can be passed down and new ideas can be developed.
