| Overall Rating | Gold |
|---|---|
| Overall Score | 70.78 |
| Liaison | Julia Carlow |
| Submission Date | July 25, 2024 |
American University of Sharjah
EN-5: Outreach Campaign
| Status | Score | Responsible Party |
|---|---|---|
|
4.00 / 4.00 |
Nathalie
Curabba Sustainability Coordinator Sustainability |
Has the institution held a sustainability-related outreach campaign during the previous three years that was directed at students and yielded measurable, positive results in advancing sustainability?:
Has the institution held a sustainability-related outreach campaign during the previous three years that was directed at employees and yielded measurable, positive results in advancing sustainability?:
Name of the campaign:
A brief description of the campaign:
AUS acknowledges the importance of food in the sustainability conversation. In addition to the effects that the food system has on the environment and climate change, food also has an enormous impact on the health and wellbeing of the community. The Eat with Intent campaign was designed to target all members of the AUS community to raise awareness of the three important pillars of the campaign: 1. Eat Local 2. Eat More Plants 3. Reduce Food Waste.
Signage was designed and placed around the student center and other eateries. AUS Sustainability worked closely with BreakPoint, the main food service provider on campus, to ensure that plant-based meals were readily available, that ingredients were sourced locally when possible, and that food waste, both pre and post consumption was minimized. The campaign is ongoing, with the Cook for Change classes in the residence halls as an extension of this. With new renovations on campus in the past year, and new food service providers, there is increased motivation to pursue the goals set forth with this campaign. Additionally, the campaign also brought to campus a cooperative farmers market showcasing local produce, honey, dates, and other foodstuffs produced within the UAE. The entire AUS community, (students, faculty, staff, and families of faculty and staff) has access to the market on a weekly basis.
https://www.aus.edu/media/news/fostering-a-sustainable-lifestyle-aus-students-learn-to-eat-green-and-prepare-for-cop28
https://www.aus.edu/media/news/manbat-farmers-market-at-aus-supports-sustainable-living
A brief description of the measured positive impact(s) of the campaign:
The cooperative farmers market saw increased numbers of visitors throughout the academic year. Additionally, the residence hall managers saw more interest in cooking with competitions being set up around sustainable cooking, as well as daily cooking in the communal kitchens. The Culture Clubs also engaged in a public cooking competition at the farmers market, showcasing their traditional foods yet highlighting sustainable ingredients and practices such as minimizing waste and composting.
In the Sustainability Survey, we expect to see improvements in food and climate literacy as these topics are discussed in the cooking classes as well as other areas of the campaign.
Name of the campaign (2nd campaign):
A brief description of the campaign (2nd campaign):
The "Road to COP28" campaign consisted of numerous events and activities to raise awareness about the prestigious conference that was held in Dubai, UAE, in December 2023. The campaign targeted students as well as the community at large with a COP28 Speaker Series, COP28 Coffee Morning, COP28 Ramadan Talks, COP28 Quiz Night, and COP28 Q&A with the EcoReps. The campaign was supported by industry experts, professors, and students. Additionally, the Conference Of Youth (COY18), an annual event under the banner of YOUNGO, The Official Youth Constituency of the United Nations Framework Convention on Climate Change (UNFCCC), was co-organized by students from AUS, NYU-Abu Dhabi, and the Arab Youth Center.
https://www.aus.edu/media/news/aus-leads-uae-university-discussions-on-student-engagement-in-cop28
A brief description of the measured positive impact(s) of the campaign (2nd campaign):
AUS involvement at COP28 was extensive, ranging from research being presented by faculty, several panels including faculty, students, and the Acting Head of Sustainability, and students and faculty volunteering at the 2-week long conference.
A brief description of other sustainability-related outreach campaigns:
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.