| Overall Rating | Gold |
|---|---|
| Overall Score | 76.57 |
| Liaison | Katie Koscielak |
| Submission Date | April 11, 2023 |
Cal Poly Humboldt
EN-5: Outreach Campaign
| Status | Score | Responsible Party |
|---|---|---|
|
4.00 / 4.00 |
Katie
Koscielak Sustainability Analyst Facilities Mgmt |
"---"
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
Earth Month EcoChallenge
A brief description of the campaign:
In May of 2021, a group of roughly 10 campus sustainability officers worked together to curate a collaborative Earth Week celebratory experience composed of two modalities; one of these strategic experiences was an online outreach campaign called EcoChallenge while the other was a focused panel discussion event. Due to the ongoing Coronavirus, both modalities were held in virtual format.
The EcoChallenge tool was selected as a pathway for engagement because it was already existing (sustainability officers would not have to create anything from scratch) and it was thought to solicit action (participants would have to 'do something', rather than solely be passive listeners/audience members). In addition, metrics & engagement could be tracked and exported easily.
From the website(https://earthmonth.ecochallenge.org/about/event-info):
"Earth Month Ecochallenge: Drawdown is a solutions-oriented engagement program focused on individuals taking action to reduce greenhouse gases in our atmosphere. The actions in this Ecochallenge connect to global solutions highlighted by Project Drawdown, a research-based organization that is leading the efforts to map, measure, model, and describe existing, amazing solutions to climate change.
Furthermore, Earth Month Ecochallenge is an engagement opportunity for sustainability leaders across business and education institutions to create teams, assign custom actions for team members to take, engage with their team throughout the Ecochallenge, and lead their team to create substantial positive impact."
The EcoChallenge tool was selected as a pathway for engagement because it was already existing (sustainability officers would not have to create anything from scratch) and it was thought to solicit action (participants would have to 'do something', rather than solely be passive listeners/audience members). In addition, metrics & engagement could be tracked and exported easily.
From the website(https://earthmonth.ecochallenge.org/about/event-info):
"Earth Month Ecochallenge: Drawdown is a solutions-oriented engagement program focused on individuals taking action to reduce greenhouse gases in our atmosphere. The actions in this Ecochallenge connect to global solutions highlighted by Project Drawdown, a research-based organization that is leading the efforts to map, measure, model, and describe existing, amazing solutions to climate change.
Furthermore, Earth Month Ecochallenge is an engagement opportunity for sustainability leaders across business and education institutions to create teams, assign custom actions for team members to take, engage with their team throughout the Ecochallenge, and lead their team to create substantial positive impact."
A brief description of the measured positive impact(s) of the campaign:
View impact summary for Humboldt State at https://earthmonth2021.ecochallenge.org/dashboards/teams/humboldt-state which included the following stats:
14 participants
2,774 points accrued total
80 vegan meals consumed
1 energy audit conducted
631 minutes being mindful
6.6 lbs of paper saved
63 plastic containers not sent to the landfill
270 gallons of water saved
50 conversations had on related topics
2 documentaries watched
937 minutes spent outdoors
655 minutes spent learning on related topics
As a whole group across the CSU, here are some metrics (includes metrics aggregated from 10 CSU campuses, not just Humboldt):
5,381 LBS C02E AVOIDED
Lbs equivalent to the carbon sequestered by6,500 acres of forest (or a forested area of roughly 5,000 football fields)!
18,690 GAL H20 CONSERVED
Gallons of water equivalent to eliminating over 1,000 average American showers
17,238 MINUTES LEARNING
These represented specific advocacy actions for public policy change with climate impacts
113 ADVOCACY ACTIONS
Included writing letters, emails, and making calls to people in leadership or government positions
118 PUBLIC OFFICIALS CONTACTED
Time equivalent to 287 hours, or roughly 12 full days of learning, or roughly 42 minutes per participant!
333 ZERO WASTE MEALS CONSUMED
Number of meals with zero food waste or to-go containers sent to landfill
Here are some additional NOTEWORTHY ACHIEVEMENTS by campus:
-While Stan State led with the most points achieved (with 87 participants achieving roughly21,000 points), CSU Monterey Bay achieved the largest team with 128 participants achieving roughly 13,000 points.
-CSU Northridge saved the most water by a long shot, at 10,620 gallons saved (the next highest achiever was CSU Long Beach at 3,240!)
-CSU Long Beach tied CSU Northridge for first place in the average number of miles traveled by bike, at .87 miles/participant.
-Cal State East Bay was a close second with .75bike miles traveled per participant on average!
-Cal Poly Humboldt spent the second highest amount of time outdoors at 937 minutes (or 15.6hours, or just over 1 hour/participant!).Stan State achieved the most overall, which equated to 42 minutes outdoors per participant!
-CSU Channel Islands led the smaller schools in number of hours spent exercising, at 2,095 minutes(or 35 hours total, or 1.25 hours/participant!)
-CSU Monterey Bay contacted the greatest number of public officials, logging 63 contacts. They logged more than double the number of actions the second place performer logged!
-CSU San Marcos logged the most zero waste meals consumed on average per participant, at 7.4meals per person (across 59 participants).
14 participants
2,774 points accrued total
80 vegan meals consumed
1 energy audit conducted
631 minutes being mindful
6.6 lbs of paper saved
63 plastic containers not sent to the landfill
270 gallons of water saved
50 conversations had on related topics
2 documentaries watched
937 minutes spent outdoors
655 minutes spent learning on related topics
As a whole group across the CSU, here are some metrics (includes metrics aggregated from 10 CSU campuses, not just Humboldt):
5,381 LBS C02E AVOIDED
Lbs equivalent to the carbon sequestered by6,500 acres of forest (or a forested area of roughly 5,000 football fields)!
18,690 GAL H20 CONSERVED
Gallons of water equivalent to eliminating over 1,000 average American showers
17,238 MINUTES LEARNING
These represented specific advocacy actions for public policy change with climate impacts
113 ADVOCACY ACTIONS
Included writing letters, emails, and making calls to people in leadership or government positions
118 PUBLIC OFFICIALS CONTACTED
Time equivalent to 287 hours, or roughly 12 full days of learning, or roughly 42 minutes per participant!
333 ZERO WASTE MEALS CONSUMED
Number of meals with zero food waste or to-go containers sent to landfill
Here are some additional NOTEWORTHY ACHIEVEMENTS by campus:
-While Stan State led with the most points achieved (with 87 participants achieving roughly21,000 points), CSU Monterey Bay achieved the largest team with 128 participants achieving roughly 13,000 points.
-CSU Northridge saved the most water by a long shot, at 10,620 gallons saved (the next highest achiever was CSU Long Beach at 3,240!)
-CSU Long Beach tied CSU Northridge for first place in the average number of miles traveled by bike, at .87 miles/participant.
-Cal State East Bay was a close second with .75bike miles traveled per participant on average!
-Cal Poly Humboldt spent the second highest amount of time outdoors at 937 minutes (or 15.6hours, or just over 1 hour/participant!).Stan State achieved the most overall, which equated to 42 minutes outdoors per participant!
-CSU Channel Islands led the smaller schools in number of hours spent exercising, at 2,095 minutes(or 35 hours total, or 1.25 hours/participant!)
-CSU Monterey Bay contacted the greatest number of public officials, logging 63 contacts. They logged more than double the number of actions the second place performer logged!
-CSU San Marcos logged the most zero waste meals consumed on average per participant, at 7.4meals per person (across 59 participants).
if reporting an additional campaign, provide:
2nd campaign
Green Workplace Assessment (GWA)
A brief description of the campaign (2nd campaign):
The Green Workplace Assessment (GWA) is a campaign of Green Campus wherein offices and departments volunteer to complete a checklist about sustainable behaviors and actions in their department, for which results eventually garner them a green workplace certification of Platinum, Gold, Silver, Green, or "Not Yet Green Certified, Keep Trying!" (Highest possible rating to lowest rating). Historically a department opts-in to the Assessment program, students first recruit a staff champion from that area. The staff champion fills out a questionnaire. From there, students review the initial results, then visit the office space to complete an in-person consultation. At this visit, they are confirming that answers are accurate, checking for low hanging fruit behaviors and actions that the office could immediately change (for example, changing sleep settings on computers), and trying to understand barriers for the office users. Following this consultation, students prepare a report with recommendations on how office participants could save more energy, water, reduce waste, or improve their carbon footprint. They then prepare a summary presentation of the recommendations in the report for a staff meeting at the office. During this period, they also offer educational tools (such as signage to turn off lights or turn off water when soaping hands or dishes). The final step in the assessment is to return to the office after three months to deploy the questionnaire again. This allows students to determine if their educational efforts and interventions have yielded change to the way office users behave and act in their office. After the second questionnaire deployment, the office earns their final rating, receiving a framed certificate showing their achievement and certification level.
GWA also buys and gives away tools such as smart power strips, LED lamps, and timed outlets, among other donated incentives such as indoor plants that will clean the air in indoor office spaces.
A blank (template) questionnaire is attached below for reference.
This program was paused during the COVID-19 pandemic, but has relaunched during the 2022-2023 Academic Year, with the specific assessment elements folded into our new employee peer-educator program. With the new launch of peer educator programming for staff/faculty, questions in the calculator have been transcribed into survey format and results not only lead to reports and recommendations for change but are intended to guide peer educators in narrowing in on the greatest areas of need for their department.
GWA also buys and gives away tools such as smart power strips, LED lamps, and timed outlets, among other donated incentives such as indoor plants that will clean the air in indoor office spaces.
A blank (template) questionnaire is attached below for reference.
This program was paused during the COVID-19 pandemic, but has relaunched during the 2022-2023 Academic Year, with the specific assessment elements folded into our new employee peer-educator program. With the new launch of peer educator programming for staff/faculty, questions in the calculator have been transcribed into survey format and results not only lead to reports and recommendations for change but are intended to guide peer educators in narrowing in on the greatest areas of need for their department.
A brief description of the measured positive impact(s) of the campaign (2nd campaign):
Find information about the Green Workplace Assessment (also known as GWA) at https://greencampushsu.weebly.com/green-workplace-assessment.html
The questionnaire completed by the office champion contains a calculator that attempts to make savings estimates for kWh per year used by certain appliances in the office, gallons of water used per year based on certain water fixtures and behaviors, lbs of carbon dioxide per year used based on the corresponding energy calculation, and dollars spent per year linked to certain behaviors, fixtures, and appliances. This allows students to make an estimated savings measurement in each of these categories from the first time the office completes the questionnaire to the second time the office completes the questionnaire (or gives a pre-audit versus post-audit measurement). This also allows the students to broadly quantify positive impacts of their engagement, outreach, and education techniques for this campaign.
*It is important to note that the calculator used for GWA makes broad assumptions about usage, and therefore outputs should genuinely be understood as high level estimates, rather than discrete measurements. Students do not attach energy meters or other devices to appliances or fixtures during their audit/consultation process.
The questionnaire completed by the office champion contains a calculator that attempts to make savings estimates for kWh per year used by certain appliances in the office, gallons of water used per year based on certain water fixtures and behaviors, lbs of carbon dioxide per year used based on the corresponding energy calculation, and dollars spent per year linked to certain behaviors, fixtures, and appliances. This allows students to make an estimated savings measurement in each of these categories from the first time the office completes the questionnaire to the second time the office completes the questionnaire (or gives a pre-audit versus post-audit measurement). This also allows the students to broadly quantify positive impacts of their engagement, outreach, and education techniques for this campaign.
*It is important to note that the calculator used for GWA makes broad assumptions about usage, and therefore outputs should genuinely be understood as high level estimates, rather than discrete measurements. Students do not attach energy meters or other devices to appliances or fixtures during their audit/consultation process.
Optional Fields
Additional sustainablity-related outreach campaigns of the University include:
1. Earth Week planning and outreach activities are deployed during the third week of April every year by a student planning Committee. Events include collaboration from a number of campus organizations, and generally consist of workshops, discussions, art, diy making workshops, speakers, panels, film screenings and more all focused on sustainability topics.
2. The Office of Sustainability collaborates with Housing, Dining, and Marketing & Communications to give away a targeted sustainability gift and information tri-fold to all new students during move-in. This outreach campaign seeks to inform new students about campus sustainability practices and norms that they may be unfamiliar with, such as the fact that Cal Poly Humboldt does not provide bottled water, or that students may trade in their OZZI token for a reusable food container at campus eateries, among other information.
3. Donation Dash is an annual move-out event targeting Residence Hall users in which participants are encouraged and educated on sorting their waste responsibly into groups consisting of charitable donations, food donations, recyclables, compost, books, clothes hangers, and more. This outreach campaign annually helps to divert more than 20 tons of waste from the landfill.
1. Earth Week planning and outreach activities are deployed during the third week of April every year by a student planning Committee. Events include collaboration from a number of campus organizations, and generally consist of workshops, discussions, art, diy making workshops, speakers, panels, film screenings and more all focused on sustainability topics.
2. The Office of Sustainability collaborates with Housing, Dining, and Marketing & Communications to give away a targeted sustainability gift and information tri-fold to all new students during move-in. This outreach campaign seeks to inform new students about campus sustainability practices and norms that they may be unfamiliar with, such as the fact that Cal Poly Humboldt does not provide bottled water, or that students may trade in their OZZI token for a reusable food container at campus eateries, among other information.
3. Donation Dash is an annual move-out event targeting Residence Hall users in which participants are encouraged and educated on sorting their waste responsibly into groups consisting of charitable donations, food donations, recyclables, compost, books, clothes hangers, and more. This outreach campaign annually helps to divert more than 20 tons of waste from the landfill.
Additional documentation to support the submission:
Data source(s) and notes about the submission:
See survey tools now implemented as part of the Employee Peer Educator program, that were borrowed/mapped mostly from the old Green Workplace Assessment calculator:
-General department survey (goes to all office members): https://docs.google.com/forms/d/e/1FAIpQLSetDPjrdoF0j8pn_jDkyOHOsQnCEre4hFQ5xm_NUMyfNLmY7g/viewform
-Peer Educator survey (goes to only the peer educator): https://docs.google.com/forms/d/e/1FAIpQLScbHSyjpl1Tr7Z5zoJ6yUCJcGfbaZRXOWEmTR4IFYwX2L0CPw/viewform
-Purchaser survey: https://docs.google.com/forms/d/e/1FAIpQLSdAKMLRyM3sm5K_w9RRISXf8NYifBl_DeVl9eqrEPO-YUQA_A/viewform
In prior years before the COVID-19 Pandemic, the campus regularly hosted an outreach campaign called the "Energy & Water Conservation Competition in Residence Halls". The campaign was intended to be implemented in Spring 2020, but then was put on hold for the following five semesters, and is anticipated to return in Spring 2023. This campaign had generally been an annual competition where student employees for Green Campus coordinated to encourage on-campus residents to save energy and water over the course of a month. The campaign had taken several iterations over the last several years, in order to test and bolster engagement. Generally the concept entailed having different Residence Hall areas compete against one another to save the most kWh per person and the greatest volume (in hundred cubic feet) of water per person. Winners were calculated by comparing consumption during the competition month to consumption from the previous month. Residents receive prizes and incentives throughout the competition, such as "sustainable succulent" giveaways, upcycled tshirts that students designed and printed themselves on recycled textiles, individual prizes for champions from each area, and a party at the end of the competition for winners.
-Read more about the Energy & Water Conservation Competition at https://greencampushsu.weebly.com/residence-hall-energy--water-saving-competition.html
-Measurable savings were as follows: In Oct 2028, the winning Residence Hall area was Shasta/ Del Norte, where residents saved an average of -14.5 kWh per resident saved (electricity)
.308 hundred cubic feet per resident saved (water)
Total savings achieved throughout all Residence Halls from in 2018 equated to $1,052.62 in electricity savings, and $1,790.55 in water savings, or combined total savings of $2,843.17 over the course of the 4 week competition.
-General department survey (goes to all office members): https://docs.google.com/forms/d/e/1FAIpQLSetDPjrdoF0j8pn_jDkyOHOsQnCEre4hFQ5xm_NUMyfNLmY7g/viewform
-Peer Educator survey (goes to only the peer educator): https://docs.google.com/forms/d/e/1FAIpQLScbHSyjpl1Tr7Z5zoJ6yUCJcGfbaZRXOWEmTR4IFYwX2L0CPw/viewform
-Purchaser survey: https://docs.google.com/forms/d/e/1FAIpQLSdAKMLRyM3sm5K_w9RRISXf8NYifBl_DeVl9eqrEPO-YUQA_A/viewform
In prior years before the COVID-19 Pandemic, the campus regularly hosted an outreach campaign called the "Energy & Water Conservation Competition in Residence Halls". The campaign was intended to be implemented in Spring 2020, but then was put on hold for the following five semesters, and is anticipated to return in Spring 2023. This campaign had generally been an annual competition where student employees for Green Campus coordinated to encourage on-campus residents to save energy and water over the course of a month. The campaign had taken several iterations over the last several years, in order to test and bolster engagement. Generally the concept entailed having different Residence Hall areas compete against one another to save the most kWh per person and the greatest volume (in hundred cubic feet) of water per person. Winners were calculated by comparing consumption during the competition month to consumption from the previous month. Residents receive prizes and incentives throughout the competition, such as "sustainable succulent" giveaways, upcycled tshirts that students designed and printed themselves on recycled textiles, individual prizes for champions from each area, and a party at the end of the competition for winners.
-Read more about the Energy & Water Conservation Competition at https://greencampushsu.weebly.com/residence-hall-energy--water-saving-competition.html
-Measurable savings were as follows: In Oct 2028, the winning Residence Hall area was Shasta/ Del Norte, where residents saved an average of -14.5 kWh per resident saved (electricity)
.308 hundred cubic feet per resident saved (water)
Total savings achieved throughout all Residence Halls from in 2018 equated to $1,052.62 in electricity savings, and $1,790.55 in water savings, or combined total savings of $2,843.17 over the course of the 4 week competition.
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.