| Overall Rating | Silver |
|---|---|
| Overall Score | 56.09 |
| Liaison | Ciara Tennis |
| Submission Date | Nov. 10, 2021 |
Eastern Connecticut State University
EN-5: Outreach Campaign
| Status | Score | Responsible Party |
|---|---|---|
|
4.00 / 4.00 |
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indicates that no data was submitted for this field
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?:
Yes
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?:
Yes
1st campaign
Underused Ocean Food Education and Outreach
A brief description of the campaign:
Eastern Connecticut State University and three partnering universities are nearing the end of a two-year, $500,000 effort to incorporate underused foods from the ocean into the dining culture of their respective campuses. The Henry P. Kendall Foundation awarded two Food Vision Prizes of $250,000 each to the four universities - including Eastern, the University of Massachusetts-Dartmouth, Northeastern University and Massachusetts Maritime Academy - to increase the consumption of kelp and underutilized fish on campus.
The four universities are connected via the food service provider Chartwells, which was awarded the Food Vision Prizes in 2018. The two projects, which are meant to foster a shift toward sustainable seafood while supporting the local fishing and kelp farming industries, launched in fall 2019 and concluded in spring 2021.
One project focuses on local fish, such as scup, hake, whiting, pollock and monkfish, which are prolific yet remain underutilized in mainstream cuisine. The other project focuses on kelp, which is a relatively unknown yet abundant sea vegetable with many nutritional and environmental benefits. Together, these food sources represent a sustainable food system with benefits to the regional maritime economy.
https://www.easternct.edu/news/_stories-and-releases/2020/03-march/eastern-dining-initiatives-bring-seaweed,-underused-fish-to-campus.html
The four universities are connected via the food service provider Chartwells, which was awarded the Food Vision Prizes in 2018. The two projects, which are meant to foster a shift toward sustainable seafood while supporting the local fishing and kelp farming industries, launched in fall 2019 and concluded in spring 2021.
One project focuses on local fish, such as scup, hake, whiting, pollock and monkfish, which are prolific yet remain underutilized in mainstream cuisine. The other project focuses on kelp, which is a relatively unknown yet abundant sea vegetable with many nutritional and environmental benefits. Together, these food sources represent a sustainable food system with benefits to the regional maritime economy.
https://www.easternct.edu/news/_stories-and-releases/2020/03-march/eastern-dining-initiatives-bring-seaweed,-underused-fish-to-campus.html
A brief description of the measured positive impact(s) of the campaign:
Over the duration of the project, Chartwells incorporated kelp and underused seafood into dining hall menu multiple times per month and added kelp to retail salad bars, soups and other retail stations.
Chartwells has held events to promote kelp in Eastern's Student Center. Two such events featured kelp smoothies. Chartwells' Food Vision interns and Eastern students promoted underused ocean foods through research and outreach with the campus community. They jointly spoke with a representative from a local kelp farm to students about kelp and underutilized fish at a Student Center event.
https://www.easternct.edu/news/_stories-and-releases/2020/03-march/eastern-dining-initiatives-bring-seaweed,-underused-fish-to-campus.html
Chartwells has held events to promote kelp in Eastern's Student Center. Two such events featured kelp smoothies. Chartwells' Food Vision interns and Eastern students promoted underused ocean foods through research and outreach with the campus community. They jointly spoke with a representative from a local kelp farm to students about kelp and underutilized fish at a Student Center event.
https://www.easternct.edu/news/_stories-and-releases/2020/03-march/eastern-dining-initiatives-bring-seaweed,-underused-fish-to-campus.html
if reporting an additional campaign, provide:
2nd campaign
Warrior Cup/Dean's Cup - Energy Saving Event
A brief description of the campaign (2nd campaign):
The Warrior Cup is a competition held yearly between residence halls. One of the events is a competition to see which dorms conserve the most energy. The dorms with the greatest percent decrease in energy use compared to their baseline average wins.
A brief description of the measured positive impact(s) of the campaign (2nd campaign):
The challenge educates and encourages students to be more aware of their energy use and reduces energy use on campus. Energy use data can be found here: http://dashboard.easternct.edu/dashboard/BuildingCompare#
Optional Fields
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Additional documentation to support the submission:
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Data source(s) and notes about the submission:
This information for this credit was gathered from articles on Eastern's website.
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.