Overall Rating Silver - expired
Overall Score 63.09
Liaison Elida Erickson
Submission Date April 17, 2015
Executive Letter Download

STARS v2.0

University of California, Santa Cruz
EN-1: Student Educators Program

Status Score Responsible Party
Complete 4.00 / 4.00 Shauna Casey
Sustainability Programs Manager
Campus Sustainability Office
"---" indicates that no data was submitted for this field

Does the institution coordinate one or more ongoing student, peer-to-peer sustainability outreach and education programs that meet the criteria for this credit?:
Yes

Number of degree-seeking students enrolled at the institution:
16,020

Name of the student educators program (1st program):
Education for Sustainable Living Program

Number of students served (i.e. directly targeted) by the program (1st program):
154

A brief description of the program, including examples of peer-to-peer outreach activities (1st program):

ESLP is a student-run organization which offers an accredited student-led class every spring quarter. Our class has two components: a Monday Night Speaker Series, and student-led sections. Each section and speaker night is based on sustainable living topics found in the Blueprint for a Sustainable Campus. ESLP class sections focus primarily on hands-on projects and experiential learning. Student organizers worked throughout the year to plan our guest lecture series, train facilitators and promote collaborative education models. In spring quarter, ESLP offers a 5-unit and 2-unit course to undergraduate students that includes student led sections and a weekly guest speaker series related to the student created UCSC Blueprint for a Sustainable Campus. Many of the sections engage students throughout campus into learning projects such as the spring 2012 The Drop you Own Drip section which created a competition by sending mock water bills across the entire UCSC campus to see which college could reduce the most water. In that same year, The Sustainable Living Spaces section performed an energy audit of college dorms and created proposals to reduce energy and resource consumption. The Zero Waste class also worked on a zero waste campus move out during the end of the year. ESLP also works on collaborative education events events, such as working with the African American Resources Center and Brain Mind Consciousness Society to host Van Jones in Winter 2012 to speak on rebuilding the “dream” and vision of society while learning to be culturally inclusive. Another event was the Wiser Together in Spring 2012, which had an attendance of approximately 200 people. This event featured locally sourced food and gave a space for students to connect with community members and local resources around sustainability.


A brief description of how the student educators are selected (1st program):

During Fall and the beginning of Winter quarter, the ESLP student organizers outreach and recruit facilitators through presenting our organization and opportunities to facilitate sections on sustainable living topics in our Campus Blueprint. The interested student facilitators turn in an application and letter of recommendation for facilitating either a 5-unit Action Research Team (ART) or Creative Thinking and Foundational Tools (CRAFT). The ESLP organizers overview the applications, interview the qualified students, and then decide on the student facilitators through consensus-based decision making.


A brief description of the formal training that the student educators receive (1st program):

During the winter training course, Developing Leadership in Facilitating Environmental Education, facilitators learn about the UC academic standards, curriculum building and gain skills in facilitation peer-to-peer sections. Each facilitator is required to create a week by week syllabus, at least 10 lesson plans and a rubric listing the learning goals, teaching methods and assessment tools for their sections. The faculty sponsor of this course also supports the training of these facilitators and help mentor their section development.


A brief description of the financial or other support the institution provides to the program (1st program):

The ESLP organization and staff is funded through the Campus Sustainability Council student referendum. ESLP has a budget of approximately 30,000 dollars each year to fund organizers and create the class each year. Our staff advisor, the sustainability program manager, helps students navigate the UCSC fiscal and curricular system to help bring guest speakers, create internships and accredited courses. The staff manager is assessed by the student Staff Evolution committee, which gives feedback and reviews the position each year.


Name of the student educators program (2nd program):
Student Sustainability Advisors

Number of students served (i.e. directly targeted) by the program (2nd program):
15,088

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

The Student Sustainability Advisor's primary role is to raise awareness and offer educational opportunities within their designated residential communities about the ways campus residents can positively affect and contribute to UCSC's sustainability goals. The SSA collaborates with staff members and sustainability experts from across campus to support and improve rates of recycling, waste reduction, energy and water conservation, composting, food waste reduction, use of green products and patronage of green business.


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

General recruitment on campus student employment website after housing deadline (because students must be residents to apply), flyers, followed by interviews.


A brief description of the formal training that the student educators receive (2nd program):

2 week training session- lectures and field trips/tours of facilities, discussion on sustainability topics, training on outreach and education, behavior change and leadership, and how to work within the University structure.


A brief description of the financial or other support the institution provides to the program (2nd program):

The SSAs earn a rent reduction equivalent to $1500 per quarter for the academic year they are filling this role. This program is also supported by one staff person who oversees the SSA's and a student Coordinator (~10 hours/wk) who reports to the Staff Coordinator. Colleges Housing and Educational Services and College Residential Life office afford expenses having to do with training, field trips, supplies, printing costs, etc.


Name of the student educators program (3rd program):
College 8 Sustainability Project

Number of students served (i.e. directly targeted) by the program (3rd program):
1,538

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

The College Eight Sustainability Project is a service-learning enterprise designed to connect your intellectual work with its practical applications. Every section will participate in one of the activities, all of which focus on a particular aspect of environmental work on campus or in the larger community of Santa Cruz.
Projects include working field trips to UCSC's farm, the Program in Community Agroecology or Santa Cruz's Homeless Garden Project; participating in lagoon and coastal prairie restoration efforts; working on a beach clean-up with Save Our Shores; and several other options. All of the opportunities are tailored to further students’ understanding of topics related to sustainability and social justice.
Many of the projects fall on the college's “Day of Service” with the opportunity for many College Eight students to participate in service‐learning events. The fosters awareness of campus, community and global issues around sustainability. Students share in a unique experience and generate positive attention for the college as well as the organizations involved.


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

The College 8 Chancellors Undergrad Internship Program (CUIP) intern, who is the primary coordinator for the Sustainability Project, is selected through the CUIP application process. This includes an interview as well as two letters of recommendation.


A brief description of the formal training that the student educators receive (3rd program):

Weekly class meetings in the CUIP program with the Career Center staff and Dean of Undergraduate Education plus training on activities and outreach with the College 8 Program Coordinator.


A brief description of the financial or other support the institution provides to the program (3rd program):

Participating students receive course credit towards core requirement, faculty frequently participate in (or even host) the projects. The CUIP intern, along with the College Program Coordinator, help plan and coordinate activities, usually with the Provost matching the Career Center's contribution to the CUIP stipend, and funds for anything project related are provided by College Eight Senate and College Eight Programs offices.


Name(s) of the student educator program(s) (all other programs):
Provost's Sustainability Internship Program

Number of students served (i.e. directly targeted) by all other student educator programs:
10

A brief description of the program(s), including examples of peer-to-peer outreach activities (all other programs):

The Provost's Sustainability Internship Program is a year-long combination course/internship that helps students develop competencies necessary to become effective environmental professionals and leaders. Students are paired with staff or faculty mentors and work closely with them on campus sustainability projects and research that help the campus reach its sustainability goals, as identified by the Campus Sustainability Plan.


A brief description of how the student educators are selected (all other programs):

Students submit resume, cover letter, verify GPA (unofficial transcript) and complete an application where they discuss why sustainaiblity is important to them and identify a sustainability challenge and how they would address it. Sustainability Office staff review applications and select students who meet the 3.0 minimum GPA requirment and whose application materials are outstanding to participate in an informational session with the prospective staff mentors. At the informational session students select the internships they want to be considered for and staff determine which students they want to interview. After interviews are completed, staff and students rank their preference and the Sustainability Office match them according to ranked preferences, making every attempt to match participants with their highest preferences.


A brief description of the formal training that the student educators receive (all other programs):

Weekly peer mentoring support sessions for projects, introduction to campus higherarchy and intervention strategies, professional development trainings (verbal and written communication, meeting facilitation, etc.). Students participate in quarterly planning and education retreats, totaling over 20 hours, which includes training in planning and project management. Students educate the campus about their projects at Earth Summit, and the End of Year celebration which draw ~ 400 students annually combined.


A brief description of the financial or other support the institution provides to the program (all other programs):

The Provost's Sustainability Internship (PSI) Internship Coordinator (staff position) is responsible for helping to coordinate a 3-quarter campus internship program and associated class in collaboration with the Provost's Office. The Coordinator provides overall organization, recruitment and ongoing functioning of both the course and internship component of the program under supervision of the Campus Sustainability Office.

Students in the program receive a $1500 scholarship at the end of the program for completing their projects. Funding is provided through Student Fee Measure support via the campus Sustainability Office and participating units (i.e. departments hosting an intern pay half the cost of the intern).


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

The website URL for the peer-to-peer student outreach and education program(s):
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.