The University of British Columbia
EN-1: Student Educators Program

SUSTAINABILITY AMBASSADORS PEER PROGRAM http://sustain.ubc.ca/get-involved/students/sustainability-ambassadors The Sustainability Ambassadors Peer Program is a key component of the sustainability education outreach activities of the UBC Sustainability Initiative (USI). Volunteer Ambassadors work with the USI Manager of Advising and Student Involvement as part of a team to deliver sustainability programming to fellow students and network with other student groups on campus to promote sustainability education. The Sustainability Ambassador Program is part of the Social Change category of UBC Peer Programs. This category emphasizes personal, collaborative, and community engaged learning to gain greater self-knowledge while designing and actively participating in projects and initiatives that foster human wellbeing and environmental health. The Sustainability Ambassadors Program is committed to leading and inspiring the UBC community to learn more about sustainability, and to explore how sustainability principles and practices can be embedded into their own lives to effect positive and lasting changes. Outreach activities include: • An annual Sustainability Fair • Peer-to-peer advising • Sustainability Education Resource Centre open house • Sustainable Event Planning workshops • UBC Farm Symposium • Primary School workshops on ‘sustainability 101’ • Promotional and display booths at various events Volunteers are responsible for creating and delivering information and events that will help to raise awareness of sustainability issues among the student population. Programming includes: • Promoting and enhancing sustainability education within their own faculty and department and the wider campus • Disseminating educational information (such as, sustainability courses, leadership and volunteer opportunities and current events) • Envisioning, planning, organizing and promoting sustainability education events • Developing new approaches to reach out to the student population at UBC • Staffing booths at orientation (UBC Imagine) and at special events across campus • Helping create promotional displays, hand-outs and articles for print and online publications such as sustain.ubc.ca, newsletters and other publications on campus • Delivering workshops for small and large campus groups • Collaborating with other groups on campus to address specific sustainability issues or requests • Providing peer-to-peer advising at the Sustainability Education Resource Centre* • Finding and encouraging connections between various sustainability groups on campus *The Sustainability Education Resource Centre (SERC) is a hub for students to learn about sustainability events, projects, courses, programs, and resources on- and off-campus. Sustainability Ambassadors offer peer-to-peer advising and hold open houses with interactive sustainability related activities, including surveys to learn about students input and feedback on various UBC sustainability programs. The Manager of Advising and Student Involvement is also available full-time to assist students in planning their sustainability pathways and incorporating sustainability into their degrees. More information about the SERC is available online at: http://sustain.ubc.ca/get-involved/students/sustainability-education-resource-centre.

A call for applications goes out to all UBC students in January to apply online for the program. After reviewing each student’s cover letter and resume, an interview is set with the shortlisted candidates. Now in its third program year, the Sustainability Ambassador Program has grown from 8 student sustainability ambassadors in the first year to 21 ambassadors in 2013/14.

The Sustainability Ambassadors are trained over two full days of intensive leadership and sustainability specific training. Students meet every week for 1.5 hours for team building, ongoing training and reflections.

The program runs on grants from various UBC organizations: AMS Sustainability Projects Fund and Student Environment Centre plus some support from the UBC Sustainability Initiative.

SUSTAINABILITY IN RESIDENCE http://sustain.ubc.ca/get-involved/students/sustainability-residence Sustainability in Residence is an annual peer-to-peer education program that runs in UBC’s two first year residences: Totem Park and Place Vanier. This program promotes sustainable lifestyle choices that first year students can easily integrate into their day-to-day lives and supports the UBC’s high level plans and targets for sustainability engagement, climate action, greenhouse gas emissions reduction, water conservation and zero waste. Sustainability in Residence runs from October to March each year via a monthly interactive booth in the first year residences’ common areas. Monthly themes include zero waste, energy and water conservation, post winter holiday energy saving reminders, sustainable transportation, sustainable food choices and Mindful Move-out. Volunteer functions and responsibilities include: • With Sustainability in Residence student coordinator, collaboratively develop interactive outreach activities and materials for each month’s theme and booth • Booth promotion • Staffing booth twice a month in each residence • Promoting, modelling and disseminating education on sustainable lifestyle choices to students living in first year residences • Tracking feedback and participation metrics • Engaging first year residents via email, Twitter and Facebook • Collaborating with Residence Life staff and residence sustainability committees Outreach and boothing activities in the 2013/14 school year included: • Zero waste sorting game and education • Energy conservation and water conservation prize wheel • Sustainability ‘Selfie’ campaign • Mindful move-out promotion • Public commitments for sustainable transportation and food choices • Prize incentives each month for participation

One paid student intern is hired by UBC to coordinate this program. The Sustainability in Residence student coordinator is then partnered with Common Energy UBC, one of UBC’s largest and most active sustainability student groups, to recruit, train, mentor and lead a Sustainability in Residence volunteer team. Students are recruited into the Common Energy network at various orientation events in September each year. Volunteers are provided with training and resources to conduct outreach to the over 3100 students living in these two residences. Throughout the 2013/14 school year, 10 volunteer peer-to-peer educators were active on the Sustainability in Residence team.

Training to the volunteer Sustainability in Residence peer-to-peer team is led by the Sustainability in Residence Student Coordinator, with the support of UBC’s Sustainability Engagement Manager and includes an overview of: • UBC’s sustainability aspirations and targets • Zero Waste Action plan, targets and Sort It Out recycling and composting campaign • Climate action plan, energy conservation and water conservation behaviours • Mindful Move-Out • Outreach and engagement methods; communication and key messages • Community based social marketing The Sustainability in Residence student coordinator provides training to the Residence Team at the Common Energy weekly meeting to appropriately prepare team members on their presence, role, and communication for the engagement night in residence. After each month’s outreach activity, team members provide feedback on best outreach practices, challenges and recommendations, which help to inform the next month’s activities as well as future programming years.

Sustainability in Residence is a UBC funded program.

PEER WELLNESS COACHING http://students.ubc.ca/livewell/services/peer-wellness-coaching Peer Wellness Coaching is a coaching program designed to help students set a wellness goal and work towards it with the support from a peer coach (similar to the other academic coaching programs on campus). With the focus on wellness, a student can work one-on-one with a fellow student on goals related to any of the eight dimensions of wellness and develop the skills needed to form healthy habits. Examples of wellness goals can be related to areas such as stress management, time management, goal-setting, relationship-building, and work/study/life balance. Peer Wellness Coaching are a key component of the wellness outreach of UBC Student Health Service. Using a peer-to-peer approach, the Peer Wellness Coaches enhance campus wellbeing by: • Engaging in in-person and online coaching conversations with students. • Providing a warm, safe and professional environment, both in person and online, for any student from any faculty to discuss their wellness and overall UBC experience. • Support students in developing wellness goals and creating action plans to work towards achieving them through skill development. This encompasses: • The 80/20 Conversation model: over the course of a coaching conversation, coaches spend 80% of the time actively listening to the student and 20% of the time asking questions, offering options, and assisting the student to build a plan of action • Using a holistic, reflective approach to their own coaching practice. • Developing competencies in areas including communication, teamwork, social and community organization, analysis and problem solving, initiative and motivation, willingness to learn and adaptability. • Actively participating in experiences that are integrated into the training and leadership development curriculum for Peer Wellness Coaches. • Actively engaging in opportunities that are considered to be a part of the curriculum of leadership development for UBC Peer Programs, including key training sessions in March (community of leadership), August (community of service) and January (community of change). • Hosting 4-5 wellness coaching hours, in person and online, each week. • Providing a warm, welcoming, safe and professional environment, both in person and online, for any student from any faculty to discuss their wellness and overall UBC experience. • Contributing to a collaborative and supportive culture among all peer wellness coaches. • Directing students to a variety of services and resources across campus. • Embracing the role as an ambassador for student leadership and representative of the Peer Wellness Coaching program. • Understanding the role that a Peer Wellness Coach with the Peer Programs Network plays within a larger scope of leadership on the UBC Vancouver campus. • Active participating as a member of a larger community of leadership across the UBC Vancouver campus.

A call for applications goes out to all UBC students in January to apply online for the program. After reviewing each student’s cover letter and resume, an interview is set with the shortlisted candidates.

Students are trained in key leadership skills and receive 2-3 full days of training in areas such as wellness topics, coaching skills, and diversity. Peer Wellness Coaches receive ongoing professional development in weekly meetings where they also have opportunities to reflect on their coaching experiences and learning.

Peer Wellness Coaches support students’ wellbeing and success through individualized coaching sessions (mostly online) to students who need assistance in various areas of personal wellness and self-management skills, such as stress management, healthy life style, time management, goal setting, relationship building and work/study/life balance. This program is supported by a Teaching and Learning Enhancement Fund grant and is a joint initiative of Student Health Service and Counselling Services. Peer Wellness Coaches report directly to the Peer Wellness Coaching Program Coordinator.

WELLNESS PEERS http://students.ubc.ca/fun/give-back/peer-programs/wellness-peers Wellness Peers are a key component of the wellness outreach of UBC Student Health Service. Using a peer-to-peer approach, the Wellness Peers volunteer with the Wellness Centre Coordinator and other professional staff to : • Contribute to the larger university priorities around enhancing campus wellbeing. • Acknowledge and support individuals, through health education, and the community, through health promotion. EQUITY AMBASSADORS http://students.ubc.ca/fun/give-back/peer-programs/equity-ambassadors The Equity Ambassador Program is part of the Social Change category of UBC Peer Programs. This category is for student leaders interested in personal, collaborative, and community engaged learning to gain greater self-knowledge and leadership competence towards sparking positive social and environmental change. Social justice and dedication to promoting human rights and inclusivity for all students, staff, and faculty is the common goal for all Equity Ambassadors. Equity ambassadors raise student awareness via education and outreach activities to: • Better recognize prejudices in ourselves and others • Identify ways of responding to situations of discrimination and harassment • Discuss strategies for working to build a socially responsible campus community The Equity Ambassador Program was introduced to UBC in 2001 through a collaborative effort between the UBC Equity Office and the former Women’s Students Office, now Access & Diversity, in Brock Hall.

A call for applications goes out to all UBC students in January to apply online for the program. After reviewing each student’s cover letter and resume, an interview is set with the shortlisted candidates.

The Wellness Peers work under the direct supervision of the Wellness Centre Coordinator and receive direction from staff at Student Health Service and Student Communications Services, depending on the project or activity. The Equity Ambassadors work under the direct supervision of one of Access & Diversity’s staff members who supervise and monitor activities through weekly meetings, emails, and smaller teams or committee structures. The staff member will meet with student leaders when necessary to provide support, guidance or one-on-one mentorship.

Both programs are funded by UBC.