Overall Rating Gold - expired
Overall Score 68.50
Liaison Chris Bond
Submission Date Nov. 27, 2017
Executive Letter Download

STARS v2.1

Unity Environmental University
EN-1: Student Educators Program

Status Score Responsible Party
Complete 4.00 / 4.00 Jonathan Gibbons
Sustainability Engagement and Data Coordinator
Sustainability
"---" indicates that no data was submitted for this field

Number of students enrolled for credit (headcount):
766

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):
766

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

Name of the student educators program:
Sustainability Ambassadors

Number of students served (i.e. directly targeted) by the program (headcount):
766

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

The Sustainability Office has six student educators called Sustainability Ambassadors (student workers) doing a variety of waste diversion, local foods, and energy tasks.They are responsible for creating, researching, and implementing sustainability projects on Unity's campus in support of the college's sustainability goals. They do work with residential students with various RA's floor programs. Student ambassadors work shifts as "trash talkers" in our dining areas to engage other students on what can be recycled or collected in organics bins during normal dining operations and at large campus events. Student ambassadors become "faces of sustainability" on campus and are recognized by peers and faculty as campus sustainability champions.


A brief description of how the student educators are selected:

Student educators are chosen as part of a competitive application and interview process conducted by the sustainability office.


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

Students are trained one-on-one or in small groups by the sustainability office staff Training may also include an emphasis on Community Based Social Marketing, including: survey work, focus groups, and development of outreach materials such as posters, flyers, and displays. Additional relevant content training are conducted as needed in order to effectively communicate topics as diverse as building energy performance, composting food waste, and transportation alternatives. .


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):

Student educators are supported by the sustainability office staff for recycling work. Their efforts are supported financially through work-study and the budget of the sustainability office.


Name of the student educators program (2nd program):
Sustainability training for Resident Advisors.

Number of students served (i.e. directly targeted) by the program (2nd program):
502

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

RAs have a formal training by the Sustainability Office at the start of each semester. Sustainability office student ambassadors also go to at least one floor meeting held by each RA to go over various environmental issues on campus such as recycling. In the residence hall, the RA's engage regularly with every student, including on issues broadly related to sustainability


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

RAs are selected through an application and interview process conducted by Residential Life


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

RAs have a formal training by the Sustainability Office at the start of each semester and periodically during the semester. Topics included are organics collection in the residence halls and which bottles and cans go into the returnables bin.


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):

Residential Life has a programming budget which includes materials dedicated to sustainability, such as posters displayed in every hall.


Name of the student educators program (3rd program):
College Ambassador Sustainability Training

Number of students served (i.e. directly targeted) by the program (3rd program):
225

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

Student ambassadors, who are utilized at large campus events including move in, are educated about campus recycling and sustainable operations by the Sustainability Office during their training. During move in they are able to help students properly divert their waste and can also speak to different sustainable features on campus as well.


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

Students volunteers apply through student life and then are selected based on their availability and commitment.


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

Before move in, the student ambassadors meet with the sustainability coordinator to go over waste and energy operations to prepare them for any questions they may get during the move in process. They are briefed on where students should place their trash and recyclables to help make the move in process smooth and sustainable.


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):

Their training is coordinated through residence life and the sustainability office and then they are further supported through residence life for anything further.


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:
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Total number of hours student educators are engaged in peer-to-peer sustainability outreach and education activities annually (all programs):
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The website URL where information about the programs or initiatives is available:
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Additional documentation to support the submission:
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Data source(s) and notes about the submission:
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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.