| Overall Rating | Gold |
|---|---|
| Overall Score | 69.84 |
| Liaison | Zachary Czuprynski |
| Submission Date | Jan. 21, 2025 |
Prescott College
EN-1: Outreach and Communications
| Status | Score | Responsible Party |
|---|---|---|
|
4.00 / 5.00 |
Zachary
Czuprynski Sustainability Coordinator Green Mountain Center for Sustainablity |
1.1 Sustainability outreach and communications
Website URL of the institution’s central sustainability website:
Does the institution integrate sustainability information into the educational offerings or materials provided during new student orientation or the equivalent?:
Narrative outlining how sustainability information is integrated into new student orientation or the equivalent:
Each year for Orientation, the college includes an orientation lunch with the Green Mountain Center for Sustainability to meet the Sustainability Coordinator and co-director of Sustainability. The orientation provides an overview of sustainability initiatives and opportunities for student involvement. It frames sustainability as a core value set at Prescott College and as part of the mission dedicated to environmental responsibility and social justice. There is also a Green Move-in/Move-out coordinated around the Orientation schedule that minimizes waste to the landfill during the Move-out and reduces the purchase of new materials during the Move-in. Donations are gathered during move-out and stored at the Sustainability Center. Items collected include room décor, clothing, linens, sheets, lamps, rugs, fans, shower supplies, and hiking gear. These items are displayed in the housing residence during Move-in for free to students during orientation.
The Sustainability Coordinator provides a walking tour of campus to highlight the main features of sustainability. Students are given information regarding the campus composting system and a short tutorial on composting. They are also informed about rainwater capture on campus grounds, native plant species, and recycling on campus. To supplement the sustainability tour, all students receive a Sustainability Living Guide, which gives general methods/tips for living sustainably as a student on campus. It also highlights opportunities for students to get involved in initiatives on campus and within the broader Prescott community.
Does the institution integrate sustainability information into the educational offerings or materials provided during new employee orientation or the equivalent?:
Narrative outlining how sustainability information is integrated into new employee orientation of the equivalent:
Does the institution have dashboards and/or signage highlighting the institution’s sustainability features or performance?:
Description of the institution’s sustainability dashboards and/or signage:
Signage
Butte Creek, which cuts through campus and is an active restoration area, has signage that denotes native and invasive species and how to identify them. There is also a sculpture of the surrounding watersheds, which shows where the campus is located within the network.
Native landscaped areas have plaques with descriptions of plant species.
Along campus gardens is signage about native southwest foods and some of the indigenous uses of these foods.
The campus cafe has ten different zero-waste tips spread across tables.
Dashboard
Not yet publicly viewable, a data dashboard in development will be displayed on the Prescott College website, including energy and water use, greenhouse gas emissions, and other sustainability data. Moreover, a GIS map with sustainability elements is under construction.
Does the institution manage a sustainability-focused social media account, newsletter, blog, online community, podcast, video series, or equivalent communications medium or platform?:
Description of and/or website URL for at least one sustainability-focused communication medium or platform:
PC Sustainability Instagram: instagram.com/pcgarden_compost/
The Instagram page is the most popular form of student outreach and communication. The page provides information on upcoming events, highlights throughout the week, and showcases student work. Posts are several times a week.
Sustainability Snippets Newsletter: https://us5.campaign-archive.com/home/?u=f67ba6d318169138a64a73eee&id=d9c5ed84a9
This monthly newsletter via Mailchimp is emailed to all Prescott College students, staff, and faculty. It provides 2-3 highlights from the past month and calendar reminders for upcoming events. Snippets also provides updates on climate or sustainability action within the greater Prescott community.
Has the institution coordinated one or more sustainability-focused outreach campaigns during the previous three years?:
Description of sustainability-focused outreach campaigns from the previous three years:
Towards Zero Waste Campaign
As part of a student's senior project, the college launched a "towards zero waste" campaign in 2022-2023. It started with waste audits to fill significant data gaps in the college's last STARS report submission. New students were gifted reusable takeout containers at the campus cafe, and discounts were provided to those who brought in the containers. Disposables were essentially eliminated at campus events and replaced with kitchenware. Zero waste tip signs were spread around popular dining areas. The student also created a film that tracked trash and recycling disposed of on campus to show people where campus materials get sent to and to track their end-of-life. The film premiered on campus and was open to the community.
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=VjUClXGF4V8
Water Conservation
In 2023, the Sustainability Center launched a campaign to reduce water use on campus. One of the significant accomplishments was the installment of rainwater tanks in the gear warehouse. Many adventure education courses are in the field or on the river, and the gear must be washed afterward before it is packed and stored in the warehouse. The rainwater tanks are equipped with pumps, allowing the warehouse staff to wash all gear with captured rainwater rather than pumping from a municipal source.
The Reporting Tool will automatically calculate the following figure:
1.2 Percentage of campus stakeholders reached through sustainability outreach and communications
Percentage of campus stakeholders reached through sustainability outreach and communications:
Approach used to determine the percentage of campus stakeholders reached:
Description of the methodology used to determine the reach of the institution’s sustainability outreach and communications:
In November 2024, we administered a sustainability survey to students and employees. Using representative samples from each group, we found that 66% of campus stakeholders had engaged with at least one of our sustainability-focused communication platforms in the past year. Among the constituents, 60% of students and 85% of employees reported interacting with these communications. These percentages were weighted by the relative population sizes of students and employees to calculate the final 66% engagement rate.
The Reporting Tool will automatically calculate the following figure:
Optional documentation
Additional documentation for this credit:
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.