Denison University
EN-1: Student Educators Program

The Denison Sustainability Fellows Program trains student leaders who model and promote environmentally and socially responsible behaviors in the residence halls and other university facilities by educating their peers and getting engaged in hands-on activities that benefit the whole campus community. This program at Denison represents a unique collaboration between The Office of Residential Education and The Office of Sustainability. Activities: • RecycleMania • Operation Move-Out & Operation Move-In • Conduct sustainability tours on high visitor days: Parents Weekend, Alumni Weekend, etc • End of school year paper drive to capture items that students would normally throw away. • Linking up with outdoors clubs for events like hiking. • Linking talks/events with departments e.g. speaker about how the politics of climate change with poli sci department or whether or not it is financially beneficial to retrofit a business with the math/econ departments. • Potluck + talk • All local meal in dining hall or residence hall once a month • Sustainability related movie screenings • Light bulb exchange: students can trade out an incandescent light bulb with a CFL • “Green Leaves Program”- Students who meet certain requirements get a sign to display on their door. Requirements could be that they have displayed recycling or other environmentally friendly habits. Idea could also be translated to be for a room, rather than just one person, where the whole room is “green certified.” • Plastic bag recycling • Residence hall trash & recycling sort • Ecofair - different events , but in place of tickets, students must donate a recyclable • Water taste test- students have to guess if the water they are testing is from bottle, tap, or filtered tap. • Black out: encourage students to turn out lights, and meet outside for s'mores/hot chocolate • Intrahall clothing swaps/stuff swaps • Cooking activity- partner with PEAS and/or dining services. This could possibly have a focus on fresh food, like the vegetables that would be found in a CSA box. • See if fellows could partner with DUFTA and initiate an activity explaining the difference between Fair Trade and conventional products • Cultural activity with La Fuerza Latina, Asian Culture Club, BSU or other group • Residence hall sponsored community service event- habitat for humanity, food/soup kitchen- partnering with current service learning projects. • Exercise programs, group runs or bike rides/ workshops on ways to get in shape. Maybe partner with someone in Mitchell. Inter dorm competitions- kickball, capture the flag, sand volleyball. • Career Services workshops on graduate school and job opportunities for after graduation. • Dinners with professors, similar to Gilpatrick’s Chowder Hours. • In General more interaction between students and professors outside of the classroom.

Students must submit applications to serve as Sustainability Fellows. These applications are reviewed by the Campus Sustainability Coordinator Sustainability knowledge is preferred but not required for students. The program encourages students from all areas of academic and co-curricular areas to apply.

Fellows receive direct training from the Office of Sustainability with topics that include: recycling, composting, waste reduction, energy efficiency, resource guides, and overall campus goals for sustainability.

The College has one FTE that coordinates the program. In addition, Fellows are paid the hourly student-worker wage. The Fellows program utilizes a donor gift account to fund many of its activities.

The Street Team was developed by Denison's dining provider, Bon Appetit. This group of 5-6 students does outreach to the whole campus community regarding dining at Denison's student union dining location. Recent and current projects of the Street Team include eliminating plastic straws, utilizing reusable bags, and promoting reusable cups, mugs, and to-go containers.

Bon Appetit handles the hiring of these Street Team members.

Bon Appetit's Campus Manager and their Sustainability Manager oversee the training. On topics directly related to campus sustainability, the Office of Sustainability also works to provide information and resources to these students.

In addition to the support provided by Bon Appetit (which is built into Denison's dining contract, but not itemized as such) the Denison Office of Sustainability provides financial support to purchase materials for Street Team programming.

In reality both of these programs target the entire student body and campus community. However, it is realistic and fair to say that not all students engage or even see this programming which is why we are reporting a lower number. We don't actively take any attendance at events.