University of Alberta
EN-1: Student Educators Program

SUSTAINABILITY COUNCIL VOLUNTEER PROGRAM https://www.ualberta.ca/sustainability/experiential/volunteer.html The Sustainability Council (SC) offers a structured volunteer program that provides students of all levels with opportunities to learn and contribute to campus life. The SC aims to go beyond the tasks traditionally assigned to volunteers and is committed to providing our volunteers real world experiences to build relevant qualifications for future careers and to create a sustainable campus community. The volunteers are split into four teams - Outreach & Engagement, Recycling Street Team (RST), Public Education, and Campus Saint-Jean. The Outreach & Engagement team plays a vital role in promoting and delivery SC events throughout the year, and promoting SC programs such as the Certificate in Sustainability. The RST provides opportunities for volunteers to take on leadership roles in the installation of zero waste stations, planning, communications, implementation and evaluation stages educating staff, students, and faculty on zero waste initiatives. The Public Education team organizes reading groups and other sustainability focused discussions and then films them to share with the UAlberta community. Campus Saint-Jean volunteers support the Sustainability Engagement Coordinator at Campus Saint-Jean to deliver various initiatives at the university's French speaking campus.

SENIOR VOLUNTEERS Volunteers who have volunteered with the Sustainability Council are invited to complete an application for a Senior Volunteer position. This applications allows them to express their interest in taking on additional responsibilities from their previous volunteer experience, primarily focused on enhancing their leadership skills. This application process occurs in August. JUNIOR VOLUNTEERS Students who have not volunteered with the Sustainability Council previously are invited to complete an application and attend an in person, group interview. Group interviews are led by staff from the Sustainability Council and Senior Volunteers. This application process occurs twice a year, in September and January.

Senior Volunteers are required to attend a three hour training session that trains them on leadership and project management skills. Junior Volunteers are required to attend a four hour training that provides information about the University of Alberta's sustainability initiatives, the goals and programs of the Sustainability Council, and their roles as volunteers. There is also a project specific portion of the training, where volunteers are given special training for their specific volunteer team. Training for Junior Volunteers is led by the Sustainability Council staff and Senior Volunteers.

The Sustainability Council Volunteer Program receives funds as part of the regular operating budget of the Sustainability Council. There is one full time staff that coordinates the overall program, with four full time staff that serve as team leads for the Outreach & Engagement, Recycling Street, Public Education, and Campus Saint-Jean teams (two of these team leads are full time staff from the Sustainability Council).

UALBERTA AMBASSADOR PROGRAM uab.ca/represent Operated by Volunteer Management & Partnerships (Office of the Registrar), the UAlberta Ambassador program consists of approximately 80 student volunteers who represent the university by providing tours, offering service triage in Student Connect, and participating in events and initiatives hosted by the Office of the Registrar and the university throughout the year. Each year, approximately 10–15 Ambassadors will volunteer to take on the additional responsibility of leading Sustainability Campus Tours for prospective students, current students, and school groups. The Sustainability Campus Tour focuses on the facts and features of the university that make it one of the highest-ranked universities in Canada for sustainability performance. During the visit, guests have the opportunity to learn more about the university's commitment to sustainability.

Ambassador recruitment takes place in February each year. Interested students are required to apply for the Ambassador program by submitting an electronic application. Staff will then select Ambassadors to attend a group interview in March. Volunteer Management & Partnerships staff and senior UAlberta Ambassadors will select the upcoming year's Ambassador team in March. Returning Ambassadors still submit an application if they would like to continue in the program, but they do not have to go through the formal group interview process.

Volunteers are required to attend three days of training, which focuses on their role as Ambassadors. In addition, Ambassadors who will be providing Sustainability Campus Tours are required to attend an additional half-day training session with that focus. In this training session, staff from the Sustainability Council and Energy Management and Sustainable Operations each provide a presentation on sustainability at the University of Alberta in order to enhance the volunteers' knowledge on sustainability.

The UAlberta Ambassador program is funded by the Office of the Registrar. The Volunteer Management & Partnerships unit consists of four staff members who support the program. The Campus Visit Program includes a range of partners that help to fund various initiatives.

SUSTAIN SU - SUSTAINABILITY VOLUNTEER PROGRAM https://www.su.ualberta.ca/services/sustainsu/ Sustain SU is a service of the University of Alberta Students’ Union (SU) that provides peer-to-peer learning and support for all undergraduate students to incorporate sustainability into every aspect of their university experience. This includes providing sustainability-based services to the entire university community, as well as opportunities to facilitate change on a larger scale. The volunteer program includes Leadership Team volunteers and Sustainability Ambassadors who support the delivery of programs. Program examples include: Bike Library, reusable dish rental service, Special events planning, Outreach, Research and Advocacy, internal engagement, Farmer's Market and Blog.

Student educators are selected in two different ways. LEADERSHIP TEAM Students that lead the majority of workshops and educational outreach are Leadership Team volunteers. They are required to submit an application and a letter of intent, then they attend an in-person interview with the Sustain SU program manager and coordinator. These Leadership Team Volunteers train their Sustainability Ambassadors (SA) who support the delivery of programs. SUSTAINABILITY AMBASSADORS (SA) The selection process for SAs occurs twice a year and includes an online application which is then reviewed by Sustain SU staff members, followed by an in-person group interview.

Leadership Team volunteers are required to attend a two-day training hosted by trained Sustain SU staff. This training provides information about Sustain SU's programming, volunteer roles and expectations, boundary setting, yearly OKR setting and goal setting for their respective programs. Leadership Team volunteers are also trained by Sustain SU staff one-on-one to assist in SA training. Sustainability Ambassadors (SA) are required to attend a one-day training session that provides information about Sustain SU's programming, program goals, and their roles as volunteers.

Sustain SU runs and operates the Sustainability Volunteer program. The Sustainability Council also provides some in-kind and financial support directly to Sustain SU volunteer programs. This support is negotiated and approved annually via a Memorandum of Understanding. Sustain SU and the Sustainability Council collaborate closely for their respective volunteer programs to support and work together during the academic year to do the following: share community hours, provide opportunities for cross collaborations, provide leadership opportunities, explore joint training on specific topics and professional development opportunities and collaborate on research-specific advocacy campaigns.

ADDITIONAL RESPONSIBLE PARTIES: Alexandra Rocca Campus Visit Coordinator Office of the Registrar Lauren Baril Team Lead, Student Engagement and Partnerships Office of the Registrar Macey Edem Nortey Team Lead, Student Services Students' Union Michelle Kim Program Lead, Sustain SU Students' Union Prachi Mishra Associate Project Planner Sustainability Council