| Overall Rating | Gold |
|---|---|
| Overall Score | 71.19 |
| Liaison | Margaret Bounds |
| Submission Date | March 1, 2024 |
Connecticut College
EN-5: Outreach Campaign
| Status | Score | Responsible Party |
|---|---|---|
|
4.00 / 4.00 |
Margaret
Bounds Director of Sustainability Office of Sustainability |
Has the institution held a 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 a 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:
Energy Builders is an outreach campaign run by a team of students in the Office of Sustainability to educate other students about energy use and how they can reduce their use in the residence halls. They have held three electricity reduction competitions for the three zones of our campus (1 in Spring 2023 and 2 in fall 2023) and plan to hold a campus-wide energy reduction competition in April 2024. The methods they have used to reach out to students include posters in the residence halls equating energy saving measures with the carbon impact of trips to our local Target, a plug-load survey, an instagram page with tips (@conn.energybuilders), energy use trivia and outreach events with food trucks and prizes. This campaign began in Spring 2023 and is ongoing. The team also maintains a website with information that can be viewed here:
https://sites.google.com/conncoll.edu/energybuilders/home
A brief description of the measured positive impact(s) of the campaign:
During the two energy reduction competitions held in Fall 2023, 6/14 participating residence halls had a measurable decrease in electricity use. The winning house for the first zone achieved an 8.6% reduction and the winning house in the second zone had a 7.4% reduction. During the first competition that they held in April 2023, the winning house reduced its electricity use by 16%.
In April 2023, the team also participated in a "treasure hunt" for energy savings of one of our residence halls along with an energy management coach from our utility. From this investigation we have created a list of low-cost energy saving projects to be addressed by our Facilities staff.
Name of the campaign (2nd campaign):
A brief description of the campaign (2nd campaign):
Green Office Certification is a campaign targeted at engaging staff and faculty more fully in sustainability on campus by recognizing sustainable habits that they already have and encouraging them to adopt new habits to reduce their impact. The process includes an office selecting a Green Office liaison to help them through the process, a kickoff meeting with the Office of Sustainability where we share the Green Office Resource Guide, an individual practices survey that must be completed by 80% of the office and completion of the certification checklist. The certification checklist is divided into four categories - Energy, Waste, Purchasing and Awareness. Certified offices receive an email signature logo, recognition on the Office of Sustainability website and invitations to educational events. The program is promoted at Faculty/Staff meetings, Office of Sustainability trainings and through our student Office Coordinator.
A brief description of the measured positive impact(s) of the campaign (2nd campaign):
14 offices (9 administrative offices and 6 academic departments), representing over 130 employees, have been certified since the program began in 2021.
Feedback received in an annual survey of the office liaisons includes; "It made us look at our spaces in a different way." "I learned a lot about energy conservation and random purchasing policies that I hadn't considered." and "There are many small ways to contribute positively to the sustainability on campus. Often, it can be overwhelming to think about huge changes but small changes across our office can make a difference."
A brief description of other sustainability-related outreach campaigns:
Additional documentation to support the submission:
Data source(s) and notes about the submission:
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