This article describes initiatives at the University of Costa Rica, which, in combination with national programs, have strengthened the country's commitment to sustainable development over the past 15 years. It discusses the University's role in defining a national perspective on sustainability starting in 1987, as well as the evolution of the University's Programa Institucional de Sostenibilidad y Paz (PRINSOPAZ) from being University focused to joining with the Earth Council to promote the Earth Charter both nationally and internationally.