Humber College
EN-3: Student Life

The Humber Sustainability Club aims to organize, establish, manage and contribute sustainable ideas and initiatives to Humber College, surrounding communities, and the planet at large.

Through community engagement, research, and active participation, The Humber Sustainability Club will promote and raise awareness of sustainable measures and the necessity of reducing ecological footprints. Further, it will succeed in being committed to the United Nations Sustainable Development Goals while monitoring local ecological footprints and focusing on social issues.
http://ignitestudentlife.com/club/humber-sustainability-club/

The college has an organic garden and greenhouse that use organic gardening techniques. Plants are raised without the use of pesticides or synthetic fertilizers and biodegradable waste is composted. The garden and greenhouse serve as a learning lab for students in the horticulture and landscaping programs. Students from any program that wish to pursue projects that require the use of the garden and/or greenhouse are welcomed to go through an open application process to gain access to the facility. The school also recruits students from the college-at-large to work in the maintenance of the vegetable and ornamental gardens.
https://humber.ca/arboretum/explore/gardens-botanical-collections/food-garden.html

The School of Hospitality, Recreation and Tourism runs Gourmet Express, a student-run café that features freshly made soup, salads and meals prepared by students at the culinary school. Made up of 80% students, the staff learn about the importance of resource management and waste reduction. The enterprise focuses on reducing waste by offering recyclable & compostable disposable containers and utensils and by having a pre- and post-consumer food waste composting program. The staff also promotes the reusable mug and soup bowl program at the beginning of each semester.
https://hrt.humber.ca/food-fitness-services/hungry/gourmet-express.html

The college holds a week-long sustainability outreach campaign celebrating Earth Week to raise awareness and appreciation for the environment.

Humber students run an annual Fairtrade Week full of events engaging the campus community around Fairtrade products.

In Spring 2016 Humber Public Relations students ran an inaugural event to raise awareness about environmental issues and provide information about sustainable practices. The event is vendor fair that is organized and executed by second-year PR students under direction from the Student Success & Engagement department. The students’ roles and responsibilities for the event include developing the theme and slogan; marketing and promotions; décor and entertainment; menu selection; budget management; logistics; as well as event set-up and tear-down.

Exhibitions:
L Space and North Space, Feb 2, 2016 to Feb 11, 2016
This exhibit will explore water as it relates to international development, with specific focus on exploring the idea of water as a human right, threats to the Great Lakes and the effects of climate change on the world’s water resources. Not only will this exhibit be informative and educational, but it will also aim to wake up the senses (touch, sound, sight) by presenting different water-themed installations at each campus.

L Space, Aug 24, 2015 to Sep 27, 2015
The SITUATE | DESIGN | BUILD studio at Humber is working with the WARD 6 community to design a series of PUBLIC | GARDEN spaces. Our approach is to create equal part public spaces and community gardens for growing food while emphasizing the social, economic and environmental considerations. PUBLIC | GARDEN sets into tension the mythic idea about nature as pristine space and the urban environment. By using the infrastructural possibilities of mobility of the adjacent train tracks and food terminals, this project creates a constructed nature for the growing of food and social interaction.

L Space, Aug 26, 2013 to Sep 29, 2013
The MIGRATION project is an invitation to transform the L Space gallery into an active area where anyone can mold their own clay bird and add to the flock. Migration is an act of movement and like the changing ecology along the Lakeshore; participants will occupy the gallery space with their creations becoming part of the installation and Humber's continually evolving creative, social, and physical environment. People are invited to post their photos of birds around the gallery as inspiration.

Programming:
L Space - Friday Sep 27, 2013
Eco Walk takes participants across the Lakeshore in conjunction with the Culture Days movement! This walk and discussion will explore the importance of urban green space for the local and community and give people a chance to look at some of the amazing bird species that exist down at the Lake. Along the way you guide will also talk about the importance of parks like Colonel Samuel Smith Park in relation to migratory fly zones.

Humber’s Outdoor Education Certificate program combines seminars on outdoor education with excursions and trips that follow the 'Leave No Trace' principles.

Humber’s innovative Global Citizenship Certificate (GCC) prepares students for engaged living in a culturally diverse and rapidly changing world. Through a combination of academic courses, travel experiences and extra-curricular activities, students gain a highly valued global perspective, deepen their understanding of human diversity, interconnectedness, and cultural complexity and enhance their sense of personal and community responsibility.
The Global Citizenship Certificate is a free cross-college, multi-disciplinary program designed to accommodate currently enrolled students from all Academic Schools. Envisioned as a "global backpack" or a set of courses and experiences that students can fit into your current studies, the program requires them to examine the questions of meaning and value associated with the theme of citizenship within today's global world.
Once successfully completing the program requirements, students are awarded a Certificate of Completion in Global Citizenship. They exit with an e-portfolio documenting global skills, knowledge and experiences to share with potential employers and/or community of professional interest.
https://humber.ca/global-opportunities/global-citizenship.html

Humber's Office of Sustainability employs 2-3 students throughout the year to assist with social media, communications, events, graphic design.

The Humber Arboretum employs both regular staff and work-study students for positions in areas such as horticulture, landscaping, nature education, events management, communication, and administration.

The Co-Curricular Record (CCR) is a program designed to help students find skill development opportunities at Humber College and the University of Guelph-Humber and have them recognized on an official record.

Experiences range from:
-paid positions,
-volunteer opportunities,
-workshops,
-conferences,
-athletics and more.

Students are then able to present their official record to future employers and other post-secondary institutions to highlight the out-of-classroom skill development they have engaged in during their academic career.

When CCR experiences are put into the program, the lead staff member must identify what competencies are learned/used during that experience. There are three competencies that have a sustainability focus:
- Sustainability
- Global Citizenship
- Social Responsibility & Civic Engagement

During 2015/2016 there were 323 experiences within the CCR that included at least one of the above three competencies related to sustainability.
https://humber.ca/student-life/ccr/