Luther College
EN-4: Outreach Materials and Publications

In Fall 2013 the Center for Sustainable Communities launched a biweekly sustainability e-newsletter as a way to share special features, upcoming events, faculty/staff/student spotlights and job postings related to sustainability on campus and in the region. Currently there are nearly 2,000 individuals on the e-mail list and it has a consistent open rate of between 41 and 58%, with an average of 48% over the past year. Smaller, targeted newsletters and notices are also sent to specific groups (e.g., sustainability-focused students) with much higher open rates. Each sustainability event offered for students includes a signup sheet for the newsletter (as well as volunteer activities). While not offered recently, because of COVID, community events and workshop registration lists have provided names of newsletter subscribers.

From May through October we run an e-newsletter specifically for the ~100 faculty and staff who participate in our Community Supported Agriculture (CSA) Rebate Program.

Luther's Center for Sustainable Communities posts on Twitter (@sustainluther) and Instagram (@luthersustainability).

All residence halls and academic and administrative buildings have recycling bins, and contain signs indicating where the recycle bins are and how to sort recyclable materials. There are also signs in the residence halls and the cafeteria indicating where the compost is and what materials can be composted. Signs about cold water washing and line drying are in each laundry room.

Permanent signs have been placed in each of 20 student units in Baker Village to remind student residents of the fact that Baker Village is powered by the sun and earth. Signs contain suggestions for how students can be responsible stewards of resources. The college's Sustainability House also features a large educational sign.

Signs have been placed in various buildings across campus to highlight green features. One sign gives a comprehensive list of green features in our LEED Gold Sampson-Hoffland Laboratories building, another explains the geothermal system in our Center for the Arts building and the last explains the solar PV on the roof of the library. All of these are meant to highlight often unnoticed features of our buildings that are important to campus sustainability.

On top of this, we have electronic signs through campus programming, dining services and at Valders hall of science. These signs are on TV monitors, which can be switched out or rotated anytime. Currently we have videos running about the importance of composting and recycling. We also promote sustainability events, local foods, our social media accounts and the students who work in sustainability through these electronic signs.

We often incorporate scavenger hunts into trainings and orientations that we lead. Here is an example:https://www.luther.edu/sustainability/assets/Sustainability_Scavenger_Hunt.pdf

Walking routes for many trails are available at https://www.luther.edu/recservices/outdoor-recreation/maps/

We offer a variety of renewable energy tours to visiting classes, or interested students or community members.

Luther's Sustainability website features a page with energy conservation tips for students and other members of the campus community: https://www.luther.edu/sustainability/energy-climate/conservation/

The Sustainability Department regularly submits information to the Tuesday, which is an internal Luther College newsletter sent to faculty and staff every Tuesday. We also regularly promote events through the Bulletin, which is a similar newsletter for students.

We post flyers in bathroom stalls at the Student Union to promote events.

We reserve napkin holders in the cafeteria periodically throughout the year as a way to promote sustainability programs and events.