| Overall Rating | Silver - expired |
|---|---|
| Overall Score | 47.09 |
| Liaison | Tom Hartzell |
| Submission Date | June 28, 2017 |
| Executive Letter | Download |
Calvin University
EN-5: Outreach Campaign
| Status | Score | Responsible Party |
|---|---|---|
|
4.00 / 4.00 |
Becky
Haney Associate Professor Economics |
Has the institution held at least one sustainability-related outreach campaign during the previous three years that was directed at students and yielded measurable, positive results in advancing sustainability? :
Has the institution held at least one sustainability-related outreach campaign during the previous three years that was directed at employees and yielded measurable, positive results in advancing sustainability?:
Name of the campaign:
A brief description of the campaign, including how students and/or employees were engaged:
Students “DREAM” (Dorm Room Environmental Awareness Movement) certified their rooms by eliminating extra appliances, unplugging cords not in use, having plants, or using natural light instead of electricity (For the first time, DREAM certifications this year were entirely web-based, reducing paper use significantly!). Students, faculty, and staff also participated in “Lifestyle Challenges”, trying out a new sustainable habit like going without cars, meat, dryers, bottled drinks, or room refrigerators for all of interim.
Here is a link to an article in the Student run Newspaper about the campaign.
http://www.calvin.edu/chimes/2014/01/16/annual-kill-a-watt-sustainability-competition-begins-among-dorms/
Kill-A-Watt, Calvin’s annual Interim student sustainability competition, has come around again, with a wide variety of opportunities for students to focus on caring for creation and conserving resources, as well as a chance to win $200 towards a dorm-initiated sustainability project.
Kill-A-Watt started in 2008 in Bolt-Heyns-Timmer as a competition between floors and since its inception it has grown to implement permanent changes on campus, such as eliminating trays in the dining halls, and is continuing to spark sustainable change across Calvin.
To win the coveted prize money and campus bragging rights, residents can earn points through a variety of different opportunities.
There are a number of campus events to attend, including the documentary “Seeds of Freedom” and checking out the sustainability tables at Knollcrest, both happening on the 22nd.
Lifestyle challenges are another opportunity to rack up points. These challenges come in the forms of limiting electricity, adopting a vegetarian or vegan diet, giving up driving and many more.
Each challenge has a corresponding amount of points given to students and their dorm based on its difficulty.
At the end of the month, the dorm with the highest amount of points and lowest amount of energy consumption will win the sustainability grant.
To evaluate your sustainability “footprint,” take the DREAM, or Dorm Room Environmental Awareness Movement, quiz, which is found online. To keep updated about the competition and to see the daily point totals for each dorm, like Calvin Sustainability on Facebook.
A brief description of the measured positive impact(s) of the campaign:
Killawatt has been an annual event since 2008. It is held every January and students, faculty, and staff are also included in the campaign.
An executive summary of the 2013 Killawatt is at this link: http://www.calvin.edu/admin/provost/sustainability/initiatives/students/2013kill-a-watt.html
One way outcomes are measured is by students earning points for making behavioral changes that lead towards a more sustainable lifestyle. The executive summary from 2013 reports that students on average earned 17.5 points per student from their collective lifestyle changes. The various lifestyle changes and their point value are listed below:
“Lifestyle Challenges”
Students committed to trying new sustainable lifestyle habits for the entire interim. On average, hall residents earned 17.5 points/person. (See attached Lifestyle Challenge brochure):
1 Point Challenges (1671 total challenges):
Turn off water while brushing teeth
Use no Styrofoam for the month
Use only reusable shopping-bags for the month
5 Point Challenges (1324 total challenges):
Use no disposable bottles/cans
Unplug room fridge for the month
Use only one plate and one cup/dining hall meal
Laundry only on cold (dark colors/woolens) setting
Hang-dry washed clothes.
10 Point Challenges (1229 total challenges):
Shower less than 20 minutes/week
Be vegetarian for the month
Limit trash to one room trash can in the month
Less than 3 hours of room light usage/day
Carpool to all events
20 Point Challenges (236 total challenges):
Be vegan for the month
Use no car for the month.
Perfect Plate Event
The website URL where information about the campaign is available:
Name of the campaign (2nd campaign):
A brief description of the campaign, including how students and/or employees were engaged (2nd campaign):
The Calvin Energy Recovery Fund (CERF) is a revolving fund used to improve energy efficiency and reduce carbon dioxide emissions on campus. Plus, the cost savings from CERF projects are routed back into the fund for five years after project payoff—thereby growing the fund to support future projects. Project ideas are solicited from students, faculty, and alumni. The ideas are vetted by CERF student interns and the Environmental Stewardship Committee (staff and faculty governance).
A brief description of the measured positive impact(s) of the campaign (2nd campaign):
The quarterly report contains the measured positive impacts: http://www.calvin.edu/support/energy/images/CERFQuarter3Report2015.pdf
Lifetime CERF Savings (as of Sept 2015)
Energy Savings (kWh) 1,371,232
Water Savings (gal) 2,157,961
Natural Gas Savings (MMBtu) 1,488
CO2 Savings (metric tons) 1,025
Cost Savings $129,128.
The website URL where information about the campaign is available (2nd campaign):
A brief description of other sustainability-related outreach campaigns, including measured positive impacts:
The website URL where information about the programs or initiatives is available:
Additional documentation to support the submission:
Data source(s) and notes about the submission:
The 2014 and 2015 Executive Summaries will be available online soon. The Calvin Sustainability web presence is being re-done.
The 2014 and 2015 Executive Summaries will be available online soon. The Calvin Sustainability web presence is being re-done.
The information presented here is self-reported. While AASHE staff review portions of all STARS reports and institutions are welcome to seek additional forms of review, the data in STARS reports are not verified by AASHE. If you believe any of this information is erroneous or inconsistent with credit criteria, please review the process for inquiring about the information reported by an institution or simply email your inquiry to stars@aashe.org.