| Overall Rating | Gold |
|---|---|
| Overall Score | 66.40 |
| Liaison | Margaret Lo |
| Submission Date | June 12, 2023 |
Ball State University
EN-5: Outreach Campaign
| Status | Score | Responsible Party |
|---|---|---|
|
4.00 / 4.00 |
Deedie
Dowdle Vice President for Marketing and Communications Marketing and Communications |
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:
The BSU student government association created a BSU Community Garden (@bsucommunitygarden on Instagram) to open in Spring 2023. Beds were installed in a central location behind the BSU recreation center in 2022 in partnership with several campus organizations (Green Action Team, Emerging Green Builders, NREM Club). This campaign will provide free food for students and volunteers. The Community and Environmental Affairs Committee in the Ball State Student Government Association oversees the garden. The idea originated with Will Snyder, Monet Lindstrand and Tina Nguyen.
A brief description of the measured positive impact(s) of the campaign:
The community garden will support positive nutritional, physical and psychological attributes. The surrounding pavilions and gardening areas will afford opportunities to learn about horticulture and sustainable environmental practices, such as composting and recycling, as well as being an important source of low-cost fresh produce for a healthy diet.
There were 25 students who planned, designed, volunteered, and planted in the community garden in 2022. It is estimated that 200+ volunteer hours were completed in 2022.
Name of the campaign (2nd campaign):
A brief description of the campaign (2nd campaign):
This campaign has ran every year since 2018 and with a team of volunteers, students, and colleagues, Josh Gruver, Associate Professor of Natural Resources and Environmental Management, has developed Muncie Food Hub Partnership (MFHP), a multi-faceted operation that combines a central facility for producers to store and sell crops with mobile food trucks to deliver fresh, local produce. MFHP began a food security assessment with the goal of measuring, analyzing, and displaying food access within our county. People are considered food secure when they have adequate access at all times to sufficient, safe, nutritious food to maintain a healthy and active life. In Muncie and Delaware County, one of every four citizens struggles with food insecurity. In pursuant with their mission,
MFHP follow these objectives:
• expand markets for local growers and producers
• increase community-wide availability of fresh and affordable local foods
• provide the next generation of students with critical training in food systems skills
• catalyze economic development and prosperity through the exchange of goods and ideas in East Central Indiana
https://munciefoodhub.org/
https://magazine.bsu.edu/2018/10/10/professor-josh-gruver-battles-food-insecurity-in-east-central-indiana/
A brief description of the measured positive impact(s) of the campaign (2nd campaign):
The approach ensures more stability for producers and more reliable access for consumers. A community food council brings together diverse stakeholders to examine how the local food system operates and provides policy recommendations toward a more equitable and resilient system. In the 2022 season, the MFHP served approximately 6,000 people at 6 sites over 20 weeks.
A brief description of other sustainability-related outreach campaigns:
Additional outreach to the community fosters student and employee engagement; to adopt or try sustainable practices and lifestyles.
Rinard Orchid Greenhouse - Martha Hunt, Department of Landscape Architecture supervises an interdisciplinary team of students who have undertaken a study of the Ball State facilities and site amenities housing Ball the university's greenhouse, Christy Woods and the renown Wheeler Orchid collection. A project of the capstone course for Ball State's Minor in Sustainability, the study focused on expanding and improving facilities and programs with an eye toward sustainability and sustainable design practices. Since opening, the greenhouse has added honey bees and community events.
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.