Pennsylvania State University
ER-2: Student Sustainability Outreach Campaign

Student Energy Challenge During the fall semester, students living within 44 residence halls on the Penn State University Park Campus participate in an annual week-long energy challenge. For 7 days, students living in residence halls are encouraged to take action to reduce their building's electrical energy usage by following actions that reduce individual energy use. Students are given daily feedback on their buildings kilowatt hour usage per student and per building. Student Recycling Challenge During the spring semester, students living within each residential area participate in the recycling challenge. The goal of the recycling challenge is to learn which residential area (East, North, South, Pollock, West) will have the least amount of recyclable materials in the trash bins. Waste audits are done in the various halls and the area with the least amount of recyclables in the trash at the end of 7 days wins the challenge. A trophy is displayed in the common area. Students learn about both campaigns from emails by their Resident Assistants. The campaigns are also advertised in the monthly Residence Hall Newsletter "Stall Stories" posted in restroom stalls.

During the energy challenge, daily kilowatt hours for each residence hall is provided during the challenge week. These numbers are painted on the windows of each common area: East,Pollock, North, West, South. The energy challenge week has resulted in significant decreases in electrical energy use during the week. All residence halls have building metering systems to learn daily, weekly, or monthly electricity usage per building. A waste audit determines the winning residential area of the recycling challenge. Recyclable items in the trash bins are taken and weighed daily for a week. During the spring of 2011, East Halls, a first year living area won the recycling challenge after 3 years of the same upperclassmen area winning.