Appalachian State University
EN-1: Student Educators Program

Appalachian State University is committed to working toward a zero waste campus and has set a goal of diverting 90 percent of all waste from the landfill disposal by 2022. In keeping with this commitment, Athletics partnered with the Physical Plant and Office of Sustainability to develop a zero waste stadium and fieldhouse plan, which was implemented in the 2014 football season. Prior season planning involves thoughtful purchasing of supplies in order to ensure all service items used are sourced responsibly, and can be recycled or composted. The stadium game day waste collection consists of zero waste zones for the collection of compost and recycling throughout the concourse areas. These zones have ample signage and zero waste attendants at each location to ensure attendees are educated and aware of which container to use when discarding their waste. The attendants are students who are educated about the program and on community outreach. The goal is for students to be the driving force behind guiding their peers towards the zero waste goal.

Because they are paid positions, the students go through an interview process with the Office Of sustainability and are chosen based on their communication skills, knowledge of compost/recycling/solid waste management and overall motivation as leaders in sustainability education and outreach.

3 hour hands on training prior to beginning on season. Training involved actual sorting of items that would be encountered on game day, discussion of overall zero waste commitment, history of waste reduction recycling and composting at App State.

Office of Sustainability funds the students, Physical Plant funds containers, and Athletics funds signage and outreach materials.

The Appalachian State University Renewable Energy Initiative is a student-led, -created and -managed renewable energy fee program. Every student pays $5/semester to fund this organization. The students on the committee implement renewable energy and energy efficiency projects on campus that have the goal of lowering the university's environmental impact. These projects also serve as educational opportunities by demonstrating real-life application of renewable energy systems. The ASUREI sends its members to present to classrooms and to lead campus tours of the renewable energy systems on campus. Members also regularly engage the student body with informational booths set up in prominent locations on campus. This group is responsible for the live-stream Renewable Energy Dashboard Kiosk that holds a permanent and noticeable spot in the Student Union. The dashboard is interactive for students to learn more about renewable energy and energy use on campus. The ASUREI works with other sustainability-oriented groups on campus and holds an informational forum each semester. All of their meetings and subcommittee meetings are open for students to attend. One of the seats of the ASUREI must be occupied by a current member of the Student Government Association.

The students that serve on the ASUREI are selected by an application and interview process once per semester based on the number of vacancies on the committee. The students are selected by current members of the REI by majority vote. Selection is based on applicants' knowledge of renewable energy, enthusiasm, work ethic, leadership initiative, cooperation, and project management abilities.

The students on the ASUREI are trained and mentored by existing student committee members and faculty/staff committee members. A new member orientation is held for recruits each semester during which the bylaws, structure, and expectations of the committee are covered. Peer outreach, including classroom visits and campus tours, is conducted by experienced members of the group. New members “shadow” each classroom visit and tour until they have the working knowledge to conduct their own.

The ASUREI is self supported through a student fee that every degree-seeking student pays. The committee is also supported by 3 faculty and 3 staff members.

This student team works to coordinate programs throughout the year enabling participation in service related sustainability-based activities. Social issues are at the foundation of this team's work making sustainability's three Es (environment, equity, and economy) a perfect framework for these programs. All programs are student led and coordinated (with staff advisement & support), including the Alternative Service Experience program (including domestic and international programs focusing on various social issues), Farm Day of Service, Dance Marathon, Social Justice Coffee Hour, MLK Challenge Day of Service, and the Don't Throw it Away/BIG Sale program.

Students are selected via a competitive application process. Students submit an application in April and then are interviewed. ACT Team members are selected based on interest in and motivation for community engagement, leadership potential, interest in event coordination, and motivation to explore and dialogue about various social issues.

Formal training includes a 3 day retreat, weekly meetings, and various professional development sessions and other opportunities focused on understanding and awareness (self, others, root causes, systems and structures that regulate the world around us) of diverse perspectives, inclusion, sustainability, critical thinking, and thoughtful dialogue.

The impACT Team is staffed and financially supported through the Department of Engagement & Leadership.

Solar Vehicle Team: The team hosts a wide variety of peer outreach. The team maintains a forum on Reddit that has over 300 subscribers. Multiple times a day, subscribers post technical questions, and the SVT has members whose task it is to go through the forum each day and see what is being posted. These members then assign other members on the team to answer the questions posted based on areas of expertise. The SVT has presented at conferences about carbon neutrality, how to structure a business team, how to do outreach events, and how to run social media accounts. The team even won the Spirit of the Event award at a previous race for advancing the sport as a whole. On campus, the SVT often places their car on prominent places on campus in order to allow students to walk by and ask questions. Professors on campus will occasionally reach out to the team for classes, and members will go to the class to give lectures. Educators and speakers from the team are chosen based on experience gained within the Solar Vehicle Team. EcoReps: Each residence hall has a sustainability focused liason between the office and their residence hall peers. This representative also takes part in a semester-long, 3 credit hour course relating to fundamentals of sustainable living. Outreach Interns through the Office of Sustainability: The Office of Sustainability employs student interns who serve as peer educators to the campus community, bringing the concepts of sustainable living to their lives. These interns staff the “Zero Waste Zones” at Mountaineer football games, assist in green events efforts, and spend time connecting with other students and the campus community via tabling and special events. ASU Sustainable Energy Society: Appalachian State Sustainable Energy Society (ASUSES) is a club whose purpose is to educate, enlighten, and inform students and the community about solar and other renewable energy applications, green building, and other aspects of sustainable living. ASUSES hosts workshops, special events, and other educational programs on campus and in the community to inform folks of the importance of renewable energy and sustainable living to our environment and future generations. Student Gardens: Interns lead volunteer days, garden tours and workshops. Volunteer days often consist of building new spaces at the garden, planting, or general maintenance. Garden tours involve explaining different projects in the garden, discussing plant varieties, soils, compost and tools. Workshops have ranged from cob building to making kimchi to growing mushrooms. For each volunteer day or tour, somewhere between 10-30 students are served. Total students attending events throughout the year ranges somewhere between 100-200. Interns at the garden have the opportunity to lead other student groups. The student interns usually have attended other events and gain experience by first helping and then leading. Positions are currently paid for by Office of Sustainability. Department of Sustainable Development helps by supplying materials, tools and professional advice. They also use the space for classes and steer students from their program toward internships and volunteer opportunities. BikeApp: All of the programs and workshops offered through BikeApp are peer-to-peer. Sanford Tuning is where the group brings their tools and staff to Sanford Mall and tunes bikes for primarily students (occasionally a faculty/staff member) and train while tuning. In 2016 and spring of 2017, students in the group also created video tutorials on basic bike repairs and other information. Student educators are put through an interview that is partially facilitated by the student BikeApp programmer, and the full-time coordinator trains them on policy information. BikeApp student employees run trainings on how to work bikes. BikeApp is primarily supported by Appalachian State through UREC and the Office of Sustainability. UREC provides the funds to pay all of the student staff and to purchase some equipment. Both offices provide the time of some full-time staff, and the Office of Sustainability helps the group secure funds for large projects. In the fall semester of 2017, almost 150 students were served by BikeApp.