| Overall Rating | Gold |
|---|---|
| Overall Score | 70.01 |
| Liaison | Rebecca Walker |
| Submission Date | April 13, 2022 |
Southern Oregon University
EN-1: Student Educators Program
| Status | Score | Responsible Party |
|---|---|---|
|
4.00 / 4.00 |
Rebecca
Walker Sustainability Manager Facilities, Management, Sustainability and Planning |
Number of students enrolled for credit:
Total number of students served by a peer-to-peer sustainability outreach and education program:
Percentage of students served by a peer-to-peer sustainability outreach and education program:
Name of the student educators program (1st program):
A brief description of the student educators program (1st program):
The Student Sustainability Team (formerly ECOS) offers a scaffolded peer education and leadership program for SOU students. The Student Sustainability Team is comprised of a core group of on average 12 student Coordinators/leaders and 10 or more student Interns/assistants. Student Coordinators are hired to lead specific education and engagement initiatives and receive education and training throughout the fall quarter. In winter and spring quarters, student Interns then join teams under the leadership and supervision of a Student Coordinator. These teams lead peer-to-peer education and engagement in the following areas: SOU Real Food Challenge/sustainable food systems, sustainable transportation, equity and climate justice, basic needs and food security, and organic gardening. For example, this includes events, tabling, workshops, and classroom presentations and engagement.
A brief description of the student educators program’s target audience (1st program):
The target audience is students on the SOU campus.
Number of trained student educators (1st program):
Number of weeks the student educators program is active annually (1st program):
Average or expected number of hours worked weekly per trained student educator (1st program):
Total number of hours worked annually by trained student educators (1st program):
Website URL where information about the student educators program is available (1st program):
Name of the student educators program (2nd program):
A brief description of the student educators program (2nd program):
SOU's Recycling Program (previously Full Circle Recycling Program) was founded by students in 2011 as part of a senior capstone project focused on closing the gap between production and disposal by diverting waste from the landfill. The program is committed to providing comprehensive recycling services including conveniently located recycling stations throughout the SOU campus, developing educational programs and events, and serving as a resource center for SOU and the surrounding community. Students that work for the recycling program are champions of peer-to-peer education and take part in outreach events outside of Zero Waste Week and have a presence at other major campus events such as Earth month. Outreach through newsletters, articles, website and social media on the SOU Recycling Program also takes place throughout the year. A Student Zero Waste Coordinator is employed throughout the year to continually improve the program and this includes working with the student employees in the recycling center to develop outreach materials for students across campus to educate them on what can and can't be recycled. In 2020 and 2021, the student zero waste coordinator also worked on a project to expand and refurbish the Recycling Center and review the measuring and monitoring.
The Student Zero Waste Coordinator wrote the following article: https://sustainability.sou.edu/material-management-on-campus-and-sou-recycling-center-revamp/
A brief description of the student educators program’s target audience (2nd program):
The target audience is students, staff, and faculty across the SOU campus community.
Number of trained student educators (2nd program):
Number of weeks the student educators program is active annually (2nd program):
Average or expected number of hours worked weekly per trained student educator (2nd program):
Total number of hours worked annually by trained student educators (2nd program):
Website URL where information about the student educators program is available (2nd program):
Name of the student educators program (3rd program):
A brief description of the student educators program (3rd program):
The Farm at Southern Oregon University: A Center for Sustainability. The Farm serves as a community resource for sustainability education, fosters sustainable business development, promotes interconnectedness, and facilitates leadership training through thoughtful learning and practice. Student employees and volunteers at the Farm host workshops, volunteer days, and other events to introduce students on campus to sustainable agricultural practices, including preparing land for production, planting, harvesting, distribution, and more. Their student educators provide sustainable farming and food production education to SOU students through workshops, volunteer events, and educational sessions with classes.
A brief description of the student educators program’s target audience (3rd program):
All students.
Number of trained student educators (3rd program):
Number of weeks the student educators program is active annually (3rd program):
Average or expected number of hours worked weekly per trained student educator (3rd program):
Total number of hours worked annually by trained student educators (3rd program):
Website URL where information about the student educators program is available (3rd program):
A brief description of all other student peer-to-peer sustainability outreach and education programs:
The Racial Justice and Gender and Sexuality Justice Teams are peer educator programs out of the Social Justice and Equity Center. Students are hired as leaders for each Team. Each team provides education and engagement in classrooms, residence halls, and for the general student population at large on topics related to equity, diversity, and inclusion.
SOU's chapter of the Oregon Student Public Interest Research Group (OSPIRG) conducts ongoing peer-to-peer outreach, education, and activism on issues relating to sustainability. SOU's OSPIRG chapter directly engaged dozens of student volunteers/interns to serve as peer mentors to other students, serving the entire campus community of 4,269 students. During their “Save the Bees” week of action, SOU OSPIRG collected over 750 petitions asking the Environmental Protection Agency to protect bees and other pollinators by placing a moratorium on neonicotinoids, a pesticide that is contributing to millions of bees dying off. During the fall term, they collected a grand total of 1,163 petitions! Moving forward they will be pivoting to channel this support into statewide efforts in spring to pass a bill in the Oregon state legislature to ban neonics in the state.
SOU's Disability Resource Office has two peer-educators that do campus and classroom outreach to educate their peers about how to support students with disabilities and disabled populations.
Number of trained student educators (all other programs):
Number of weeks, on average, the student educators programs are active annually (all other programs):
Average or expected number of hours worked weekly per student educator (all other programs) :
Total number of hours worked annually by trained student educators (all other programs):
Grand total number of hours worked annually by trained student sustainability educators (all programs):
Hours worked annually by trained student sustainability educators per student served by a peer-to-peer program:
Website URL where information about the student sustainability educators programs is available:
Additional documentation to support the submission:
Data source(s) and notes about the submission:
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.