| Overall Rating | Gold - expired |
|---|---|
| Overall Score | 67.16 |
| Liaison | Mike Versteege |
| Submission Date | June 24, 2020 |
| Executive Letter | Download |
University of Alberta
EN-1: Student Educators Program
| Status | Score | Responsible Party |
|---|---|---|
|
4.00 / 4.00 |
Prachi
Mishra Associate Project Planner Sustainability Council |
Number of students enrolled for credit (headcount):
Total number of students enrolled for credit that are served (i.e. directly targeted) by a student peer-to-peer sustainability outreach and education program (avoid double-counting to the extent feasible):
Percentage of students served by a peer-to-peer educator program:
Name of the student educators program:
Number of students served (i.e. directly targeted) by the program (headcount):
A brief description of the program, including examples of peer-to-peer outreach activities:
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.
A brief description of how the student educators are selected:
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.
A brief description of the formal training that the student educators receive to prepare them to conduct peer outreach:
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.
A brief description of the financial and/or administrative support the institution provides to the program (e.g. annual budget and/or faculty/staff coordination):
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).
Name of the student educators program (2nd program):
Number of students served (i.e. directly targeted) by the program (2nd program):
A brief description of the program, including examples of peer-to-peer outreach activities (2nd program):
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.
A brief description of how the student educators are selected (2nd program):
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.
A brief description of the formal training that the student educators receive to prepare them to conduct peer outreach (2nd program):
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.
A brief description of the financial and/or administrative support the institution provides to the program (e.g. annual budget and/or faculty/staff coordination) (2nd program):
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.
Name of the student educators program (3rd program):
Number of students served (i.e. directly targeted) by the program (3rd program):
A brief description of the program, including examples of peer-to-peer outreach activities (3rd program):
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.
A brief description of how the student educators are selected (3rd program):
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.
A brief description of the formal training that the student educators receive to prepare them to conduct peer outreach (3rd program):
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.
A brief description of the financial and/or administrative support the institution provides to the program (e.g. annual budget and/or faculty/staff coordination) (3rd program):
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.
A brief description of all other student peer-to-peer sustainability outreach and education programs, including the number of students served and how student educators are selected, trained, and supported by the institution:
Total number of hours student educators are engaged in peer-to-peer sustainability outreach and education activities annually (all programs):
The website URL where information about the programs or initiatives is available:
Additional documentation to support the submission:
Data source(s) and notes about the submission:
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
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
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.