| Overall Rating | Silver |
|---|---|
| Overall Score | 61.63 |
| Liaison | Leslie North |
| Submission Date | March 1, 2024 |
Western Kentucky University
EN-4: Outreach Materials and Publications
| Status | Score | Responsible Party |
|---|---|---|
|
2.00 / 2.00 |
Leslie
North Director of Sustainability Geography and Geology |
Does the institution have a central sustainability website that consolidates information about the institution’s sustainability efforts?:
Website URL for the central sustainability website:
Does the institution have a sustainability newsletter or social media platform that focuses specifically on campus sustainability?:
A brief description of the sustainability newsletter or social media platform:
The Office of Sustainability maintains multiple social media platform accounts (FB = WKU Office of Sustainability; Insta = @wku_sustainability; Twitter = @sustainablewku). The WKU Herald (student-run newspaper on campus) also runs Sustainability related articles about projects, events, and tips related to sustainability and staffs a sustainability beat student reporter.
Does the institution have signage that highlights sustainability features on campus?:
A brief description of the signage that highlights sustainability features on campus:
The WKU Green Tour is a series of signs around the main campus that interpret various sustainability features, including green buildings, thermal solar, LED lighting upgrades, sustainable grounds-keeping practices, and the Tree of Change. An interactive story map of the green tour was created by a student in 2019 to improve access to the information provided on the signs. A narrated video of the tour is also avoid for use in classrooms or by student groups.
https://arcgis01.wku.edu/arcgis/apps/MapSeries/index.html?appid=8d603f854e9b41099a22cc416d29b53a
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=dCRXGoWZeFo&feature=youtu.be
Does the institution provide a sustainability walking map or tour?:
A brief description of the sustainability walking map or tour:
The WKU Green Tour is a series of signs around the main campus that interpret various sustainability features, including green buildings, thermal solar, LED lighting upgrades, sustainable grounds-keeping practices, and others. The tour is most often given by request. A tour request form can be found on the Office of Sustainability homepage. Green Tours are lead by student sustainability staff and ambassadors and the director of sustainability. The tour can also be self-guided. The Green Tour signs are often read by a non-formal audience - campus students and visitors walking by. In 2015, a geoscience graduate student developed a brochure to accompany the tour. In 2019 and 2020, an interactive story map and narrated video of the green tour was also created by a student to improve access to the information provided on the signs.
https://arcgis01.wku.edu/arcgis/apps/MapSeries/index.html?appid=8d603f854e9b41099a22cc416d29b53a
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=dCRXGoWZeFo&feature=youtu.be
Does the institution produce a guide for green living and/or incorporating sustainability into the residential experience?:
A brief description of the guide for green living and/or incorporating sustainability into the residential experience:
Resource Conservation and the Office of Sustainability both produce multiple fliers and outreach materials for educating about recycling, energy conservation, food waste, and composting for both students and community members. Students are provided recycling guide magnets and RA's are given waste related information posters for communal areas. Visit https://www.wku.edu/sustainability/
CHNGES creates fliers for reducing water pollution and has partnered with the City of Bowling Green and has created a website for distributing water pollution materials. Students were engaged for the creation of these materials. The website is designed to educate individuals about actions they can take at their homes to reduce their environmental impacts. Visit UnderBGKY.org.
A brief description of other comprehensive sustainability outreach materials and publications not covered above:
The WKU Sustainability iBook - Big Red, Small Planet, is available for download through iTunes or as pdf. This interactive iBook describes sustainability programs and efforts campus-wide, including operations, curriculum, research, and student affairs.
The Kentucky Geographic Alliance, which is hosted in the WKU Department of Earth, Environmental, and Atmospheric Science and employs WKU students, hosts a gallery of storymaps on their website including a section focus on environmental and sustainability storymaps. These maps focus on sustainability and environmental efforts in Kentucky and include storymaps made students and outside sources on a range of topics including recycling, stormwater efforts, and endangered species. These storymaps are available to the public and are specifically shared with K-12 teachers in Kentucky.
https://www.kgalliance.org/environmental-story-map-gallery.html
The Kentucky Geographic Alliance also hosts the Kentucky Giant Maps. These maps are designed for Kentucky Elementary School students to learn about geographical and environmental principles. These maps include lesson plans on topics such as coal mines in Kentucky, Water Sheds and Pollution, and Coal Power Plants. These lessons are designed by WKU students to teach Kentucky Elementary School students about geography, environmental science, and sustainability.
https://www.kgalliance.org/kentucky-giant-map.html
Additional documentation to support the submission:
Data source(s) and notes about the submission:
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