Seattle University
EN-1: Student Educators Program

The position of Sustainability Representatives (previously called EcoReps) was created in 2018. Sustainability Representatives fulfill the important role of educating Seattle University’s on-campus residents of sustainable behaviors while communicating the ideas and concerns of the residents they represent with Residence Hall Association and the University’s Administration. The main responsibilities of Sustainability Representatives are to: • Serve as a member of the Residential Hall Assembly and create legislation based on sustainability-related areas such as recycling, water, energy, purchasing, and food services. • Educate students on environmental issues and sustainable habits as well as communicate campus sustainability initiatives to the residents in their specific campus areas. • Plan sustainability focused events in their respective residence halls. • Encourage collaboration within other areas of Housing and Residence Life to promote sustainability through outreach and community involvement. • Serve as a liaison between the Center for Environmental Justice and Sustainability (CEJS) and RHA. Sustainability Representatives are trained by RHA and rely on CEJS for sustainability resources. Examples of peer-to-peer education and outreach by Sustainability Representatives: o Example 1: One of the programs a sustainability rep initiated was a succulent program: The Residence Hall Association purchased several succulents and pots to host an event where residents came together, learned how to properly take care of plants, and decorated pots. o Example 2: To increase the use of reusable bags on campus, the Residence Hall Association created annual tote bag decorating events to engage students in a conversation about sustainability, reusable goods, and their impact on our campus sustainability. o Example 3: During the 2022 to 2023 academic year, the sustainability special interest group, run out of RHA’s assembly, worked with our food services to start the process of both selling reusable bags in our student grocery story as well as decrease the plastic kitchen and laundry products sold in this store. Due to the fact that this project was started in the spring of last year, all changes have not been fully implemented. But, this ongoing project will be taken up by our new sustainability special interest group this year.

Target audience: student residents. Sustainability Representatives fulfill the important role of educating Seattle University’s on-campus residents of sustainable behaviors while communicating the ideas and concerns of the residents they represent with Residence Hall Association and the University’s Administration.

The Outdoor program offers two interwoven experiences: a comprehensive outdoor program for participants and a leadership development program for student leaders. The Outdoor program seeks to: • Develop responsible student leaders through experiential learning, emphasizing a commitment to healthful outdoor recreation as well as risk management and environmental stewardship. • Develop a community of students that desire an outdoor education in order to develop life skills such as consciousness, respect, and positive impact and awareness of our surroundings. • Promote an interest in outdoor recreation that encourages lifelong physical, emotional, social, intellectual and spiritual development of our students. • Provide inclusive opportunities for participants of all experience levels to foster community, especially for persons not regularly represented in the outdoors. The Outdoor program fully integrates the Leave No Trace principles. The Director of the Outdoors program is an LNT master educator. Environmental stewardship and LNT is incorporated into all of the Outdoors ethics and the training of the student leaders. The student leaders go through an extensive training and new leaders go on initial trips with returning leaders to shadow. https://www.seattleu.edu/recreation/outdoors/

Target audience: All registered students at SU (undergraduate and graduate) can participate and are eligible to be trained and work as student leaders

The "Wellness and Health Promotion" (WHP) office at SU fosters the health and wellness of the Seattle University community, including physical wellness, mental health, substance use, healthy relationships, and basic needs. Student Peer Health Educators (PHEs) are instrumental in achieving this goal. Peer Health Educators serve as resources for the campus community and they host programs, workshops, events, and tabling. PHEs use evidence-based health education in combination with event planning, programming, and public speaking skills to support the community. They receive 60 hours of training prior to the start of the year, and an hour of continuous training each week (total of 90 hours of training per student per year). The trainings are provided by WHP staff.  

Undergraduate and graduate students

ADDITIONAL PROGRAM #1:

Name: SUSTAINABILITY DELEGATES ON SGSU (Student Government of Seattle University)

Description: Since academic year 2023, an SUstainability delegate position has been created as part of SGSU—the undergraduate student government at Seattle University. Three undergraduate students rotate each week to serve in the role of “SUstainability Delegate.” This delegate position is an annual non-voting and unpaid position, providing students an opportunity to share their concerns, advocate for change, and educate their peers on sustainability at SU. The SUstainability delegates serve as a bridge for the student body by promoting and raising awareness about sustainable practices at Seattle University; advocating for initiatives that encourage action for environmental justice; and focusing on the sustainability of SUs campus operations. The SUstainability student representatives are trained by the Center for Environmental Justice and Sustainability (CEJS).

Target audience: undergraduate student body 

Number of trained student educators: 3

Number of weeks, on average, the student educators programs are active annually: 30

Average or expected number of hours worked weekly per student educator: 1

Total number of hours worked annually by trained student educators: 90

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ADDITIONAL PROGRAM #2: 

Name: CENTER FOR ENVIRONMENTAL JUSTICE AND SUSTAINABILITY STUDENT TEAM (CEJS)

Description: CEJS serves as the hub for Seattle University’s sustainability initiatives. CEJS promotes Seattle University's climate action and campus sustainability performance; works to advance sustainability in Academic Affairs by supporting interdisciplinary scholarship, teaching, and learning in environmental justice and sustainability; and sponsors and develops co-curricular programs, events, and resources to encourage environmental justice and sustainability action, engage with community partners, and advance public policy. Student employees and interns assist CEJS in its operations. An important part of their work is to do peer-to-peer student outreach and education. EXAMPLES: The CEJS students develop and create signage, communication materials, posters and infographics. They write and manage website content, maintain social media, and create weekly “SUstainability” student-focused newsletters. They are on hand during events for tabling (sharing information about CEJS and sustainability at SU) and they support in organizing and promoting sustainability events on campus, such as the SUstainbaility Fair during Fall welcome; events during SU’s annual participation in the Race to Zero waste competition; “Trash Talks”; various Earth Month activities, and more.

Training: The CEJS students are trained by CEJS staff to the goals and objectives of its program. 

Target audience: undergraduate and graduate student body 

Number of trained student educators: 4

Number of weeks, on average, the student educators programs are active annually: 30

Average or expected number of hours worked weekly per student educator: 3

Total number of hours worked annually by trained student educators: 360

POSSIBLE ADDITIONAL STUDENT EDUCATORS PROGRAMS: 1. TITLE: Zero Waste Student Leadership Program ROLE: Student employees and interns assist Seattle University Facilities Operations work toward zero waste. They are provided leadership opportunities to reach out to their peers while demonstrating current and new ways to reduce waste and divert waste from landfill. TRAINING: Zero Waste Student employees and interns and are trained by Facilities staff to the goals and objectives of SU’s waste program. EXAMPLES OF PEER-TO-PEER EDUCATION AND OUTREACH • The Zero Waste student employees and interns work with residence hall students and are instrumental in organizing and facilitating move-in and move-out. They develop and create signage, communication and posters. They are on hand during the event to facilitate waste stream pathways. In doing so, they actively engage students and families in the recycling and zero waste practices and processes of Seattle University. • They are on hand during the year to facilitate operations and partner with campus students by sharing information about zero waste practices, recycling, reuse, and responsible consumer habits during outreach events on campus such as the SUstainbaility Fair and SU’s annual participation in the Race to Zero waste competition, “Trash Talks,” Earth Month activities such as “Zero Waste bingo,” a “sewing and clothing repair workshop” TARGET AUDIENCE: The Zero Waste student leadership program seeks to “target” all students and make material accessible to them. Outreach happens via trash talking, Move in and Move out, Race to Zero Waste (formerly Recyclemania) events, and prepared communication materials (e.g. Zero Waste handouts,…). Number of trained student educators: 2.0 Number of weeks the student educators program is active annually: 52.0 Average or expected number of hours worked weekly per trained student educator: 12.0 Total number of hours worked annually by trained student educators: 1,248.0 --------- 2. TITLE: Edible Campus Initiative (ECI) ROLE: Edible Campus Initiative is an urban agriculture focus for student employees and interns who engage, under the mentorship of campus gardeners, as student educators. SU Grounds Edible Campus Initiative focuses on integral ecology of multiple systems of growing edibles highlighting food security and justice issues. Students are encouraged to take an active role in growing food for harvest and donation supporting social need for food security and helping care for others. Student interns engage in leadership opportunities working with campus Gardeners learning organic greenhouse management, starting veggies from seed, transplanting, organic plant and pest management, harvest, coordinated harvest donation. The edible campus is a sustainable urban agriculture tool for teaching others, a springboard for rethinking broken food systems, and an incubator for inventive ideas about food security for future generations. By designing edibles into the existing gardens, we are encouraging students to identify and harvest food in their own backyard. TRAINING: ECI student interns are trained by Grounds staff to the goals and objectives they establish and are relevant to Edible Campus and benefits the Grounds Department. EXAMPLES OF PEER-TO-PEER EDUCATION AND OUTREACH --Communications/social media publishing and announcing urban agricultural activities on campus and adjacent to campus. --Developing messaging through -among other things-- signage to be used on edible gardens --Community building and coordinating with campus students, staff and faculty highlighting urban agriculture as a focal point. For example: ECI students harvest foods from the edible gardens that they have grown to donate to the Seattle University's Food Pantry as well as to local food banks. The students identify the local community organizations to work with and coordinate the donations process with them on a weekly basis. --In the campus greenhouse: growing vegetables starts from seed; transplanting vegetable starts to the campus edible gardens. --Participate in outreach events on campus such as the SUstainability fair during Fall Welcome (Orientations) --Connecting with partners for mentoring such as Tilth Alliance - Garden Hotline TARGET AUDIENCE: All campus students have access to education outreach about growing vegetable starts and learning about the edible campus via the following events: tabling events; announcements and activities. Target audience = enrollment #'s for AY22-23. Number of trained student educators: 3.0 Number of weeks the student educators program is active annually: 52.0 Average or expected number of hours worked weekly per trained student educator: 10.0 Total number of hours worked annually by trained student educators: 1,560.0 URL: https://www.seattleu.edu/grounds/edible-campus/