| Overall Rating | Gold - expired |
|---|---|
| Overall Score | 77.90 |
| Liaison | Katie Maynard |
| Submission Date | March 4, 2021 |
University of California, Santa Barbara
EN-1: Student Educators Program
| Status | Score | Responsible Party |
|---|---|---|
|
2.81 / 4.00 |
Jewel
Persad Sustainability Manager Administration |
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 University's Residential Dining Services offers students majoring in Environmental Studies the opportunity to intern for Dining Services as an Environmental Intern. Interns work to improve Residential Dining’s current sustainable efforts. The student interns accomplish this by researching assigned projects, collecting and inputting data, and providing Dining Services with recommendations on how to improve current sustainable practices. Student interns participate in various outreach projects. These include Sustainability Week, a week-long celebration focusing on sustainable efforts where interns table in the dining commons to educate students about sustainable food initiatives; Seafood Day, a program where interns educate students about the Dining Service's sustainable seafood program and engage with students on the importance of purchasing sustainable fish; and Earth Day, a program where interns educate students about a climate-friendly diet. Dining Commons Interns also engage in outreach activities by tabling three times per quarter during Green Mondays; during these particular days, interns engage with students about the nutritional and environmental benefits of consuming a vegetarian meal. In addition to tabling in the Dining Commons, student interns develop educational brochures and PowerPoint slides for the programs to aid in their outreach efforts. Student interns also assist in tracking dining utilities, such as the amount of water, gas, electric, and food waste that are used by Dining Services. This data is used to help the Dining Services work towards achieving more sustainable practices and to remain Green Business Certified.
The students most affected by the Environmental Interns are those who have an active meal plan on campus and are directly exposed to the opportunities provided by Dining Services. Interns educate other students and provide them with educational tools to make the best possible menu selection. This allows the interns to gain valuable experience in food and sustainability outreach and education.
Interns are expected to dedicate 60 hours per quarter and commit to all three-quarters throughout the academic year. During this time, interns are given the opportunity to work alongside professionals in the field and interact with Dining Services staff on projects. Interns are provided the necessary knowledge and training for projects as they are assigned. Interns meet with Danielle Sinclair, the adviser for the program, on a weekly basis, and there are multiple opportunities for one-on-one mentorship throughout the year. Additionally, student educators receive an orientation and a welcome packet full of resources about Residential Dining Services.
A brief description of the student educators program’s target audience (1st program):
The Target audience is undergraduate Students
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):
The Health and Wellness department strives to encourage sustainability through healthy living and buying locally sourced, organic food. Health and Wellness interns and leaders are responsible for facilitating many workshops, marketing, tabling, events, and field trips. Interns are responsible for infusing UCSB with positive, proactive, evidence-based health and wellness messages and activities. The Food, Nutrition, and Basic Skills program (FNBS) consistently includes peer-to-peer nutrition and cooking education. FNBS interns spread awareness of the importance of eating sustainable, locally sourced, organic food. FNBS also runs the What the Fruit (WTF) project, which provides fruit bowls on campus to replace the traditional office candy bowls to allow students to have access to sustainable, healthy foods. Health and Wellness interns also educate students on how to practice smart, sustainable shopping at local farmers markets and grocery stores, such as our local food cooperative. The program also works with the Residence Hall Association Leadership to select a Health and Wellness Chair (HAWC) in each residence hall. The HAWC incorporates Health and Wellness programs in residential life by providing residents with information, programming, and resources.
Each quarter, Health and Wellness interns and student leaders track the number of students that attend each event put on by the Health and Wellness program. These numbers are then totaled to reflect total unduplicated number of students served, as well as total attendance. All Health and Wellness programs are open to all students on campus. Programs specific to the needs of graduate students are also provided.
Student leaders in the Health and Wellness program receive 50 hours of training, in addition to the intern training they need in order to apply to be leaders. Interns receive approximately 20 hours of training divided into three main categories: 8 hours health skills, 8 hours life skills, 4 hours intern skills.
A brief description of the student educators program’s target audience (2nd program):
The Target audience is undergraduate Students
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 Food, Nutrition, and Basic Skills Program (FNBS) is a coalition effort between students, staff, faculty, and community members to empower our students with the skills to become more food secure. On our UCSB campus, 48% of undergraduates and 27% of graduate students report that they face food insecurity (https://www.universityofcalifornia.edu/infocenter/student-basic-needs). Half of those students report very low food security or reports of multiple indications of disrupted eating patterns and reduced food intake. The Food, Nutrition, and Basic Skills Program (FNBS) launched Winter Quarter 2015 to teach students foundational skills such as budgeting, cooking, and nutrition skills. The FNBS program works with many partners to bring learner-centered workshops and cooking series to address basic needs on campus. By focusing on four foundational areas of food security, we aim to support student success on campus and provide skills they can utilize long after graduation. In Fall 2019 when we introduced UCSB Cooks, a 6-week hands-on cooking series, over three hundred students applied for 20 spots. Although we have added staff and expanded our FNBS programming, there is still a great demand for culinary education.
Additionally, in Fall 2020, the FNBS Program introduced Home Cooking Peers, a virtual (Zoom) food & nutrition themed coaching program where students may schedule a one-on-one appointment with a peer or health educator of their choice. Our coaches are trained in various areas such as cooking simple, healthy, affordable recipes, budgeting, meal planning, and kitchen safety.
A brief description of the student educators program’s target audience (3rd program):
The Target audience is all UCSB 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:
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:
Residential Dining Services Environmental Studies Internship: Focus on Food:
http://www.housing.ucsb.edu/dining/environmental-studies-internship
Health and Wellness Internship Program:
http://www.sustainability.ucsb.edu/health-and-wellness-internship-program/
Environmental Awareness Chair:
http://www.rha.housing.ucsb.edu/environmental-awareness-chair.html
Residential Dining Services Environmental Studies Internship: Focus on Food:
http://www.housing.ucsb.edu/dining/environmental-studies-internship
Health and Wellness Internship Program:
http://www.sustainability.ucsb.edu/health-and-wellness-internship-program/
Environmental Awareness Chair:
http://www.rha.housing.ucsb.edu/environmental-awareness-chair.html
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.