| Overall Rating | Gold |
|---|---|
| Overall Score | 68.45 |
| Liaison | Keisha Payson |
| Submission Date | May 8, 2024 |
Bowdoin College
EN-1: Student Educators Program
| Status | Score | Responsible Party |
|---|---|---|
|
3.58 / 4.00 |
Keisha
Payson Sustainability Director Facilities Mgmt |
Number of students enrolled for credit:
Total number of students served by a peer-to-peer sustainability outreach and education program:
Percentage of students served by a peer-to-peer sustainability outreach and education program:
Name of the student educators program (1st program):
A brief description of the student educators program (1st program):
Eco reps and sustainability coordinators are hired as peer-to-peer sustainability educators and divide their work between furthering sustainability outreach and education in their residences and collaborating within teams on larger projects across campus to increase overall engagement in Bowdoin’s sustainability efforts and environmental issues.
The sustainability outreach and program manager trains eco reps and sustainability coordinators through weekly meetings and training sessions as well as a mid-year meeting to reflect on the fall semester’s work and plan for the upcoming spring semester. The program manager creates an online internal resource website for the academic year that serves as a “manual” for all student employees, which is updated continuously throughout the year as additional topics are covered and the work evolves. The idea is to provide the student employees with enough background information to begin work, but not so much all at once that they feel immobilized by the training. Students are trained around composting and Bowdoin's zero-sort recycling program, Bowdoin’s climate action initiatives and goals, as well as leadership, communication, and event planning skills. Training is interactive and individual, tailored to student or team needs and interests, and campus staff or partners are brought in to share information and resources around specific topics as needed.
The sustainability coordinators serve as peer leaders and mentors and work with the sustainability outreach and program manager to lead their designated eco rep teams around campus-wide initiatives.
Civic Engagement Team: This team organizes events that encourage civic engagement and dialogue around sustainability issues and topics. Example outreach activities include panel discussions with experts around sustainability topics (environmental justice, land conservation, transportation, etc.), running a bike fix-it stand event, and encouraging the Bowdoin community to share their feedback in a survey for designation as a Bicycle Friendly University.
Energy Team: This team provides awareness about the current energy system at Bowdoin, shares information from the Bowdoin 2042 climate action plan, and promotes ways to reduce energy across campus. Example outreach activities include the campus-wide October Energy Challenge, guided walks to the nearby solar array, a campus heating plant tour, and a panel discussion on how Bowdoin solar will help Bowdoin to achieve the longer-term goal of electrifying the campus by eliminating the use of fossil fuels.
Green Athletics Team: This team focuses on engagement with Bowdoin student athletes and provides education for players and fans about Bowdoin’s sustainability initiatives. Example outreach activities include the GameDay Football Zero Waste Touchdown Challenge, tennis ball reuse program, and drives to collect leftover food and/or used sporting gear and equipment donations.
Sustainable Living Team: This team shares steps that individuals can take in their daily lives around campus and beyond to live more sustainably. Example outreach activities include a Green Living Commitment program, FreeCycle, zero-waste/crafting workshops, clothing swaps, Earth Day Celebration, and weekly compost checks to monitor usage and contamination for directed outreach.
A brief description of the student educators program’s target audience (1st program):
Except for very few and specific programs designed exclusively for individual residence halls by their eco rep, all Bowdoin students are welcome and encouraged to participate in all eco rep programs and initiatives.
Number of trained student educators (1st program):
Number of weeks the student educators program is active annually (1st program):
Average or expected number of hours worked weekly per trained student educator (1st program):
Total number of hours worked annually by trained student educators (1st program):
Website URL where information about the student educators program is available (1st program):
Name of the student educators program (2nd program):
A brief description of the student educators program (2nd program):
A brief description of the student educators program’s target audience (2nd program):
Number of trained student educators (2nd program):
Number of weeks the student educators program is active annually (2nd program):
Average or expected number of hours worked weekly per trained student educator (2nd program):
Total number of hours worked annually by trained student educators (2nd program):
Website URL where information about the student educators program is available (2nd program):
Name of the student educators program (3rd program):
A brief description of the student educators program (3rd program):
A brief description of the student educators program’s target audience (3rd program):
Number of trained student educators (3rd program):
Number of weeks the student educators program is active annually (3rd program):
Average or expected number of hours worked weekly per trained student educator (3rd program):
Total number of hours worked annually by trained student educators (3rd program):
Website URL where information about the student educators program is available (3rd program):
A brief description of all other student peer-to-peer sustainability outreach and education programs:
Number of trained student educators (all other programs):
Number of weeks, on average, the student educators programs are active annually (all other programs):
Average or expected number of hours worked weekly per student educator (all other programs) :
Total number of hours worked annually by trained student educators (all other programs):
Grand total number of hours worked annually by trained student sustainability educators (all programs):
Hours worked annually by trained student sustainability educators per student served by a peer-to-peer program:
Website URL where information about the student sustainability educators programs is available:
Additional documentation to support the submission:
Data source(s) and notes about the submission:
Total hours based on 2022–2023 student employee hours. Additional information about programs and training processes based on 2023–2024 student cohort.
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.