| Overall Rating | Gold |
|---|---|
| Overall Score | 68.89 |
| Liaison | Natalie Sobrinski |
| Submission Date | Feb. 27, 2024 |
Muhlenberg College
EN-1: Student Educators Program
| Status | Score | Responsible Party |
|---|---|---|
|
3.61 / 4.00 |
Natalie
Sobrinski Sustainability Specialist Office of Sustainability |
Number of students enrolled for credit:
Total number of students served by a peer-to-peer sustainability outreach and education program:
Percentage of students served by a peer-to-peer sustainability outreach and education program:
Name of the student educators program (1st program):
A brief description of the student educators program (1st program):
The purpose of this program is to introduce first year students to recycling and other sustainable practices while helping them move into their dorms in the beginning of the fall semester. Every first-year student is greeted by a member of the Green Team and asked about any available cardboard for recycling. Over the course of 4 years, all students should be targeted. The Green Team also manages a green move out at the end of each semester to encourage all students to donate unused food to the campus food bank and clothing in good condition to local high schools. A partnership with Habitat for Humanity collects furniture that students do not want to move home at the end of each academic year. Student Educators run both programs and table in the student union to increase awareness of program and the benefits of reducing waste during campus moveouts.
A brief description of the student educators program’s target audience (1st program):
Freshmen - Green Move in
All Classes - Green Move out
Number of trained student educators (1st program):
Number of weeks the student educators program is active annually (1st program):
Average or expected number of hours worked weekly per trained student educator (1st program):
Total number of hours worked annually by trained student educators (1st program):
Website URL where information about the student educators program is available (1st program):
Name of the student educators program (2nd program):
A brief description of the student educators program (2nd program):
As part of Residence Advisors (RA) training programs staff is made award of campus sustainability policies and resources on campus. In addition to general campus knowledge RAs are introduced to broader sustainability topics covering the UN SDGS and DEI in addition to more tactical knowledge such as campus recycling policies during their in-service training workshops. They use this knowledge to implement Muhlenberg’s Residential Curriculum. As part of the residential curriculum RAs put on events and mixers that focus on the following sustainability related topics: Holistic Well-Being, Restorative Community, and Transformative Justice & Citizenship. RA's are available to answer residence questions regarding campus sustainability or refer them to on campus resources including the sustainability office or our student organization enACT. RAs also review energy saving measures for residence as part of room checks when preparing for Fall, Winter & Spring Breaks.
A brief description of the student educators program’s target audience (2nd program):
The program targets all on campus residents or approximately 89% of the student body.
Number of trained student educators (2nd program):
Number of weeks the student educators program is active annually (2nd program):
Average or expected number of hours worked weekly per trained student educator (2nd program):
Total number of hours worked annually by trained student educators (2nd program):
Website URL where information about the student educators program is available (2nd program):
Name of the student educators program (3rd program):
A brief description of the student educators program (3rd program):
The Weigh the Waste (WTW) program is an educational opportunity to raise awareness of food waste over a specific course of time by weighing post-consumer food waste. Student Volunteers under the guidance of dining halls sustainability intern are responsible for tracking and documenting uneaten food in the Wood Dining Commons during a specific time frame and shares the information with its guests in an effort to reduce waste and improve portion control. Student educators display the results on poster boards in the dining hall and actively display the uneaten food that can make complete balanced meals had it not been thrown out.
A brief description of the student educators program’s target audience (3rd program):
All students who utilize dining hall on campus. This includes any individual on campus including those without a meal plan.
Number of trained student educators (3rd program):
Number of weeks the student educators program is active annually (3rd program):
Average or expected number of hours worked weekly per trained student educator (3rd program):
Total number of hours worked annually by trained student educators (3rd program):
Website URL where information about the student educators program is available (3rd program):
A brief description of all other student peer-to-peer sustainability outreach and education programs:
Fahy Commons Student Docents: 6 student volunteers were trained on the sustainability features of Fahy Commons and served as docents for an open house directed at the Muhlenberg community. Students are charged with engaging classmates on campus in informal settings and being available upon request for future events including a second open house on Earthday. The training included a tour of the building as well as detailed descriptions of the design decision making process for the building construction. Fahy Commons will be one of the first buildings in the world expected to achieve the Living Building Challenge Core Green Building Certification, a rigorous sustainability standard by the International Living Future Institute. The Fahy Commons is also being built to pursue LEED Platinum certification.
Number of trained student educators (all other programs):
Number of weeks, on average, the student educators programs are active annually (all other programs):
Average or expected number of hours worked weekly per student educator (all other programs) :
Total number of hours worked annually by trained student educators (all other programs):
Grand total number of hours worked annually by trained student sustainability educators (all programs):
Hours worked annually by trained student sustainability educators per student served by a peer-to-peer program:
Website URL where information about the student sustainability educators programs is available:
Additional documentation to support the submission:
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.