Overall Rating Silver
Overall Score 53.57
Liaison Noah Upchurch
Submission Date March 3, 2023

STARS v2.2

Catawba College
EN-10: Community Partnerships

Status Score Responsible Party
Complete 3.00 / 3.00 Noah Upchurch
Senior Sustainability Specialist
Center for the Environment
"---" indicates that no data was submitted for this field

Name of the institution’s formal community partnership to advance sustainability :
North Carolina Green Schools Certification Program

Does the institution provide financial or material support for the partnership? :
Yes

Which of the following best describes the partnership timeframe?:
Multi-year or ongoing

Which of the following best describes the partnership?:
Sustainability-focused

Are underrepresented groups and/or vulnerable populations engaged as equal partners? :
Yes

A brief description of the institution’s formal community partnership to advance sustainability:

The North Carolina Green Schools program provides opportunities for PK-12 educators and green school advocates to connect to sustainability resources and green school projects through an online resource hub, a recognition program, and a learning network. The program has a successful record of reducing school energy burdens, collaborating with diverse partners, and getting teachers and students excited about going green.

The Catawba College Center for the Environment manages and supports the North Carolina Green Schools Program. The Program Coordinator is funded by the Center for the Environment, as are all website and program materials.
The North Carolina Green Schools program has provided hands-on internship opportunities for Catawba College Environment & Sustainability students. Student interns have assisted with creating promotional materials and event management.

For additional information, please see: https://www.catawba.edu/ncgreenschools/


Name of the institution’s formal community partnership to advance sustainability (2nd partnership):
Girls on Outdoor Adventure for Leadership & Science (GALS)

Does the institution provide financial or material support for the partnership? (2nd partnership):
Yes

Which of the following best describes the partnership timeframe? (2nd partnership):
Multi-year or ongoing

Which of the following best describes the partnership’s sustainability focus? (2nd partnership):
Sustainability-focused

Are underrepresented groups and/or vulnerable populations engaged as equal partners? (2nd partnership):
Yes

A brief description of the institution’s formal community partnership to advance sustainability (2nd partnership):

Girls on Outdoor Adventure for Leadership & Science (GALS) is a not-for-profit educational organization that seeks to increase the ability of non-male identifying youth, students of color, students from low socioeconomic backgrounds, and other underrepresented groups within STEM fields to gain outdoor experience while engaging in scientific activities. GALS aims to mitigate the lack of hands-on, place-based science programs for these students by providing free opportunities to selected students to participate in science learning opportunities outdoors. Since 2017, GALS has provided two-week-long sessions for eight participants across North Carolina and has expanded to host more sessions and provide experience in other states. Students pursue a research question while working through lessons aimed at exploring sustainability, social justice, and environmentalism.

Two Sisters Adventure Company and Catawba College partner in support of GALS. In addition to financial support, the students of the College serve as mentors for the GALS program.

More information about alumnae, educational resources, and the history of the program can be found at: https://sciencegals.org/our-story/


Name of the institution’s formal community partnership to advance sustainability (3rd partnership):
Muddy Sneakers

Does the institution provide financial or material support for the partnership? (3rd partnership):
Yes

Which of the following best describes the partnership timeframe? (3rd partnership):
Multi-year or ongoing

Which of the following best describes the partnership? (3rd partnership):
Sustainability-focused

Are underrepresented groups and/or vulnerable populations engaged as equal partners? (3rd partnership):
Not Sure

A brief description of the institution’s formal community partnership to advance sustainability (3rd partnership):

Muddy Sneakers is a not-for-profit outdoor science education program serving North Carolina’s fifth-grade public school students. Muddy Sneakers provides opportunities for these students to connect with nature in order to create a more sustainable world. Catawba College provides office space for Muddy Sneakers on an annual basis at no charge. In addition, Muddy Sneakers and the students that participate in the outdoor programming are able to utilize the 189-acre Fred Stanback, Jr. Ecological Preserve on the Catawba College Campus. Dr. Jay Bolin, Catawba's Dean of Sciences, serves on the advisory board for Muddy Sneakers. The College also provides funding and fundraising support for Muddy Sneakers' annual MountainFilm Festival, which presents films with environmental and sustainability themes.

For additional information, please see: https://muddysneakers.org/


A brief description of the institution’s other community partnerships to advance sustainability:
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Website URL where information about the institution’s community partnerships to advance sustainability is available:
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Additional documentation to support the submission:
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Data source(s) and notes about the submission:
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