| Overall Rating | Gold - expired |
|---|---|
| Overall Score | 68.76 |
| Liaison | Josh Lasky |
| Submission Date | Feb. 27, 2015 |
| Executive Letter | Download |
George Washington University
EN-5: Outreach Campaign
| Status | Score | Responsible Party |
|---|---|---|
|
4.00 / 4.00 |
Shannon
Ross Stakeholder Engagement Coordinator Office of Sustainability |
Has the institution held at least one sustainability-related outreach campaign directed at students within the previous three years that has yielded measurable, positive results in advancing sustainability?:
Has the institution held at least one sustainability-related outreach campaign directed at employees within the previous three years that has yielded measurable, positive results in advancing sustainability?:
The name of the campaign (1st campaign):
A brief description of the campaign (1st campaign):
The GW Eco-Challenge has been conducted for seven years. Currently the focus is an electricity and water conservation challenge between residence halls. The contest serves as an educational resource for students through peer-to-peer engagement. GW Eco-Reps are the driving force behind Eco-Challenge, hosting small and large events in their residence halls and across campus designed to educate their peers about water and electricity reduction. Previous Eco-Challenge events have included: informational pizza parties, tabling, vampire device demonstrations, and lights out events.
GW's Eco-Challenge benefit helps lower the carbon and water footprint of the university and the lessons learned through the program help to instill an ethic of conservation in students.
A brief description of the measured positive impact(s) of the campaign (1st campaign):
Since the first contest in 2008, GW students have helped to conserve 2,137,838 kwh of electricity and over 5.6 million gallons of water.
The website URL where information about the campaign is available (1st campaign):
The name of the campaign (2nd campaign):
A brief description of the campaign (2nd campaign):
The Green Office Network is the primary faculty and staff sustainability engagement program. The purpose of the network is to better understand office behavior and practices on a day-to-day basis, build community and foster discussion about how to improve sustainability on the individual and office level, and empower staff to make positive, healthy changes. The network meets on a regular basis to discuss best practices and learn about sustainability initiatives and opportunities on campus, and the Office of Sustainability emails this group between meetings with additional opportunities.
In 2014, the Office of Sustainability launched a Green Office Certification to expand on the Green Office Network. The certification is awarded to offices that complete certain sustainability behaviors in their offices, and there are four possible levels of certification. Offices are re-certified on an annual basis, and are encouraged to add to their sustainable practices in doing so.
A brief description of the measured positive impact(s) of the campaign (2nd campaign):
Since the launch of the certification in summer 2014, over 20 offices have been certified, with additional offices in the process of becoming certified currently.
The website URL where information about the campaign is available (2nd campaign):
A brief description of other outreach campaigns, including measured positive impacts:
GW also participates in the national Recyclemania competition, which encourages students to increase waste diversion from landfills. Recyclemania is a competition among universities to determine which school can recycle the most during a two month period in the spring semester. Through Recyclemania, GW hopes to encourage greater recycling year round, by drawing attention to the importance of waste reduction on campus. GW has performed well in Recyclemania in previous years, and anticipates an improved performance in 2014 with the addition of a new Zero Waste team in 2013.
Data source(s) and notes about the submission:
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.