| Overall Rating | Gold - expired |
|---|---|
| Overall Score | 76.79 |
| Liaison | Mike Wilson |
| Submission Date | Jan. 27, 2017 |
| Executive Letter | Download |
University of Victoria
EN-1: Student Educators Program
| Status | Score | Responsible Party |
|---|---|---|
|
4.00 / 4.00 |
Number of students enrolled for credit (headcount):
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):
Percentage of students served by a peer-to-peer educator program:
Name of the student educators program:
Number of students served (i.e. directly targeted) by the program (headcount):
A brief description of the program, including examples of peer-to-peer outreach activities:
The Residence Green Team is a program for current first year students that live on campus to get involved with sustainability at UVic. Through the program, students learn about campus sustainability and become empowered to create their own initiatives with support and guidance from the Campus Planning & Sustainability Office. Students will also have access to sustainability-related volunteer opportunities around campus, as well as be given exposure to some of the many other sustainability-related groups at UVic.
The program includes many peer-to-peer outreach activities on campus where the Res Green Team members engage with other students about sustainability-related issues and opportunities on campus. Examples include:
- Love-a-Mug Week where Green Team members hand out free coffee vouchers to students and staff on campus to promote waste reduction by eliminating paper cup usage
- Lighten Up! where lights are given out to campus cyclists, primarily students, to ensure they get home safely after Daylight Savings and also to raise awareness about safe cycling
- Attending UVic Vikes basketball games and educating patrons on how to sort their waste properly
All of these initiatives are campus-wide and are available to every student on campus to participate in. The campus community is made aware of all of these events and are targeted through various communications methods, including from the institution's primary social media networks.
A brief description of how the student educators are selected:
All undergraduate students living in student residences were invited to participate, with the sustainability-themed living learning community being the main target segment. Broader advertising to all of Residences was done in collaboration with UVic Residence Life staff and made use of their communications channels such as social media and through word-of-mouth utilizing the Residence Community Leaders for all buildings.
The Sustainability Coordinator and Sustainability Assistant also attends one of the initial community meetings in the Sustainability Living-Learning Community and gives presentations about the program to recruit students who are already identified as having a deep interest in sustainability.
A brief description of the formal training that the student educators receive to prepare them to conduct peer outreach:
Not including the volunteer opportunities, the program consists of monthly meetings led by the Sustainability Coordinator and covers a broad range of training opportunities:
- Identifying sustainability-related issues or opportunities on campus
- Understanding the background to these issues/ opportunities and linking them to broader sustainability issues
- Team-building, project management, and leadership development training is offered through a group initiative
- Professional development opportunities through collaboration on projects with various UVic staff
- Effecting change on campus
- Reflection and recognition
For 2016/17, the group identified a waste reduction opportunity in the Residence cafeteria and are completing a research project in collaboration with UVic Food Services. The aim is to find viable alternatives to the current use of disposable containers in at the cafeteria parfait/ sandwich stations. An outreach component is targeted towards Residence students, specifically.
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):
This program received financial support from the Sustainability Office, which supported the training, and from the Residence Services, which provided the space for the monthly meetings.
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):
The Sustainability Community is designed to engage students in their development by exploring sustainable living as an individual, as a community, and as a society. Living in this building, students engage in activities to better understand human influences and their effects on the environment while reducing their own carbon foot print. They also identify changes to their behaviour that contribute to environmental sustainability and integrate the sustainable practices learned into
everyday activities. They engage in practices and initiatives beyond daily activities in order to have a positive impact on the environment.
The sustainability theme lends itself to a variety of programs which encourage students to live an eco-friendly lifestyle. These include special events, workshops, talks, discussion groups, and various types of competitions. See: http://www.housing.uvic.ca/winter/themed-communities.php.
A brief description of how the student educators are selected (2nd program):
The program is available to all students living in the South Tower sustainability-themed community.
A brief description of the formal training that the student educators receive to prepare them to conduct peer outreach (2nd program):
Students may participate in training programs offered by staff and the student community leaders throughout the school year on a variety of themes:
- Sustainable Student
- Sustainable Wellness
- Sustainable Impact
- Sustainable Ciitizen
- Community Building
Students are also encouraged to develop their own initiatives to offer to other students, for example events
A video about the themed-community can be found here: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=UuVoLME217c
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):
The program is run by the Residence Life group of Residence Services, allocating regular staff time and budgeted resources.
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:
UVic offers students living in the student residences different opportunities to participate in voluntary student educator programs focused on sustainability. The largest is the ongoing Residence Life Sustainability Themed Residence program in South Tower, home to 106 students. It is designed to engage students in their development by exploring sustainable living as an individual, as a community, and as a society. Living in this building, students engage in activities to better understand human influences and their effects on the environment while reducing their own carbon foot print. They also identify changes to their behaviour that contribute to environmental sustainability and integrate the sustainable practices learned into everyday activities. The sustainability theme lends itself to a variety of programs which encourage students to live an eco-friendly lifestyle. These include special events, workshops, talks, discussion groups, and various types of competitions. See: http://www.housing.uvic.ca/winter/themed-communities.php.
UVic offers students living in the student residences different opportunities to participate in voluntary student educator programs focused on sustainability. The largest is the ongoing Residence Life Sustainability Themed Residence program in South Tower, home to 106 students. It is designed to engage students in their development by exploring sustainable living as an individual, as a community, and as a society. Living in this building, students engage in activities to better understand human influences and their effects on the environment while reducing their own carbon foot print. They also identify changes to their behaviour that contribute to environmental sustainability and integrate the sustainable practices learned into everyday activities. The sustainability theme lends itself to a variety of programs which encourage students to live an eco-friendly lifestyle. These include special events, workshops, talks, discussion groups, and various types of competitions. See: http://www.housing.uvic.ca/winter/themed-communities.php.
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.