Overall Rating	Silver - expired
Overall Score	45.97
Liaison	Tom Hartzell
Submission Date	Feb. 28, 2019
Executive Letter	Download

STARS v2.1

Calvin University
EN-5: Outreach Campaign

Status	Score	Responsible Party
	4.00 / 4.00	Becky Haney Associate Professor Economics

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Has the institution held at least one sustainability-related outreach campaign during the previous three years that was directed at students and yielded measurable, positive results in advancing sustainability? :

Yes

Has the institution held at least one sustainability-related outreach campaign during the previous three years that was directed at employees and yielded measurable, positive results in advancing sustainability?:

Yes

Name of the campaign:

Kill-A-Watt

A brief description of the campaign, including how students and/or employees were engaged:

Students “DREAM” (Dorm Room Environmental Awareness Movement) certify their rooms by eliminating extra appliances, unplugging cords not in use, having plants, or using natural light instead of electricity. Students, faculty, and staff also participated in “Lifestyle Challenges”, trying out a new sustainable habit like going without cars, meat, dryers, bottled drinks, or room refrigerators for all of interim.

Here is a link to an article in the student-run Newspaper, Chimes, about the 2017 Kill-a-Watt kickoff:
https://calvinchimes.org/2017/01/13/kill-a-watt-kickoff/

A brief description of the measured positive impact(s) of the campaign:

Killawatt has been an annual event since 2008. It is held every January and students, faculty, and staff are also included in the campaign.

An executive summary of the 2018 Kill-a-watt is at this link and in text below:
https://docs.google.com/document/d/1m_PM3pb6v6JGWkG3nTK8Yr5M9TZPdCANWnzyZzYO_Jk/edit

Kill-a-watt 2018 Review

Throughout Interim, Residence Hall leaders collaborated with partners across campus to offer “Kill-a- watt”, a creation-care awareness program and energy contest. This year’s program featured a DCM showing of the documentary The True Cost, faculty lectures or workshops in each of the residence halls, Pashon Murray’s Detroit Dirt January Series talk, special vegetarian/vegan offerings and signage in the dining halls, creation-care themed chapel, guided walks at the nature preserve, themed floor bible studies and dorm worship, sustainable art contest (eARTh prize), and a snow-dodgeball tournament. This year, 517 students signed up for “Lifestyle Challenges”, committing to practice new sustainable lifestyle habits for Interim: such as going without red meat, taking shorter showers, or using public transit. Also, 41 faculty/staff members and several off-campus and KE students also participated in the Lifestyle challenges this year. This year 416 Students also “DREAM certified” their rooms using an online assessment tool which encouraged more sustainable living practices. At the conclusion of Interim, students attended the Kill-a-Watt finale, which featured plant-potting, stations to make sustainable laundry detergent and toothpaste, a clothing swap, and eARTh prize art display, and an announcement of the winning hall, Johnny’s during Breakfast Equivalency. At the Kill-a-watt Finale, many students also committed to incorporating one or more of their new “Lifestyle Challenge” practices into their everyday lives. Boer-Bennink, won the 2018 Kill-a-Watt contest, and Schulze-Eldersveld came in 2nd place.

The website URL where information about the campaign is available:

https://www.facebook.com/CalvinSustainability/?fref=ts

Name of the campaign (2nd campaign):

Calvin Energy Recovery Fund (CERF)

A brief description of the campaign, including how students and/or employees were engaged (2nd campaign):

The Calvin Energy Recovery Fund (CERF) is a revolving fund used to improve energy efficiency and reduce carbon dioxide emissions on campus. Plus, the cost savings from CERF projects are routed back into the fund for five years after project payoff—thereby growing the fund to support future projects. Project ideas are solicited from students, faculty, and alumni. The ideas are vetted by CERF student interns and the Environmental Stewardship Committee (staff and faculty governance).

A brief description of the measured positive impact(s) of the campaign (2nd campaign):

The quarterly report contains the measured positive impacts: https://calvin.edu/support/energy/images/CERFQuarter3Report2018.pdf?language_id=1

Lifetime CERF Savings (as of October 2018)
Energy Savings (kWh) 3,415,174
Water Savings (gal) 6,809,855
Natural Gas Savings (MMBtu) 4,743.91
CO2 Savings (metric tons) 2,607.9
Cost Savings $343,731.92

The website URL where information about the campaign is available (2nd campaign):

http://www.calvin.edu/support/energy/

A brief description of other sustainability-related outreach campaigns, including measured positive impacts:

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The website URL where information about the programs or initiatives is available:

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Additional documentation to support the submission:

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Data source(s) and notes about the submission:

Here is a link to Calvin's main sustainability web page.

https://calvin.edu/about/sustainability/

This information was gathered through interviews with Dr. Gail Heffner and emails to Becki Simpson, Dean of Residence Life (Kill-a-Watt).

(12.4.18 JW)

Data source(s) and notes about the submission