Overall Rating Gold - expired
Overall Score 78.28
Liaison Lori Collins-Hall
Submission Date Jan. 26, 2017
Executive Letter Download

STARS v2.1

Sterling College (VT)
EN-1: Student Educators Program

Status Score Responsible Party
Complete 4.00 / 4.00 Favor Ellis
Dean of Community
Residence Life
"---" indicates that no data was submitted for this field

Number of students enrolled for credit (headcount):
168

Total number of students enrolled for credit that are served (i.e. directly targeted) by a student peer-to-peer sustainability outreach and education program (avoid double-counting to the extent feasible):
168

Percentage of students served by a peer-to-peer educator program:
100

Name of the student educators program:
Environmental and Social Justice Club

Number of students served (i.e. directly targeted) by the program (headcount):
168

A brief description of the program, including examples of peer-to-peer outreach activities:

The Environmental and Social Justice Club is a group of 5-15 students who educate themselves about environmental actions in the community, around the state and New England, and then inform the entire student body; often, actions, solidarity, and support come to these issues from the larger student body as a result of the ESJC's peer-to-peer education. Additionally, they arrange for speakers to come to campus, travel to rallies and conferences, and give on-campus presentations and show films.

Because we are the only college in the U.S. where the entire campus body comes together in a circle every Wednesday for Community Meeting, our peer-to-peer outreach starts there. The ESJC presents every Wednesday about actions they can do on sustainability and for environmental & social justice; recent activities have included updating the campus on both the Vermont Gas pipeline and the Dakota Access pipeline. This education not only reaches all of the student body, but most of the staff and faculty as well.

They also bring speakers and films to campus; these activities are usually very well-attended, with up to 85-90% of the student body attending, and a great number of staff and faculty as well. They recently showed the documentaries "Food Chains" and "Chasing Ice;" for the latter, they also hosted a talk by Steven B. Young from the Center for Circumpolar Studies.


A brief description of how the student educators are selected:

Self-selected.


A brief description of the formal training that the student educators receive to prepare them to conduct peer outreach:

Formal training is given by faculty in both social justice (Anne Morse) and in environmental science (Adrian Owens). Other training happens from resources provided by organizations such as Climate Action Now!, the Peace and Justice Center, and 350 VT.


A brief description of the financial and/or administrative support the institution provides to the program (e.g. annual budget and/or faculty/staff coordination):

The Environmental & Social Justice Club applies for monies for events, workshops, and travel through the Activities fund. So far 100% of its proposals to Activities have been approved. (No group on campus, including any community governance, has its own line of funding, all funding must go through the Activities fund.)

Additionally, the College provides support by: having a faculty liaison (Anne Morse), allowing the group to use College transportation (vans) to go to actions and off-campus meetings; and giving space and resources (including food) to the ESJC to bring speakers and films to campus, such as activists from the Peace & Justice Center, 350VT, and Climate Action Now!


Name of the student educators program (2nd program):
---

Number of students served (i.e. directly targeted) by the program (2nd program):
---

A brief description of the program, including examples of peer-to-peer outreach activities (2nd program):
---

A brief description of how the student educators are selected (2nd program):
---

A brief description of the formal training that the student educators receive to prepare them to conduct peer outreach (2nd program):
---

A brief description of the financial and/or administrative support the institution provides to the program (e.g. annual budget and/or faculty/staff coordination) (2nd program):
---

Name of the student educators program (3rd program):
---

Number of students served (i.e. directly targeted) by the program (3rd program):
---

A brief description of the program, including examples of peer-to-peer outreach activities (3rd program):
---

A brief description of how the student educators are selected (3rd program):
---

A brief description of the formal training that the student educators receive to prepare them to conduct peer outreach (3rd program):
---

A brief description of the financial and/or administrative support the institution provides to the program (e.g. annual budget and/or faculty/staff coordination) (3rd program):
---

A brief description of all other student peer-to-peer sustainability outreach and education programs, including the number of students served and how student educators are selected, trained, and supported by the institution:
---

Total number of hours student educators are engaged in peer-to-peer sustainability outreach and education activities annually (all programs):
---

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 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.