University of California, Santa Barbara
EN-1: Student Educators Program

The University's Residential Dining Services offers students majoring in Environmental Studies the opportunity to intern for Dining Services as an Environmental Intern. Interns work to improve current sustainable practices for Residential Dining Services and Residential Dining’s sustainable efforts. This is accomplished by student interns researching assigned projects, collecting and inputting data, and providing recommendations to Dining Services. Examples of outreach projects that student interns work on include Sustainability Week, a week-long celebration focusing on sustainable efforts where interns table in the dining commons to educate students about sustainable food initiatives; Seafood Day, a program where interns educate students about the Dining Service's sustainable seafood program and engage with students on the importance of purchasing sustainable fish; and Earth Day, a program where interns educate students about a climate-friendly diet. In addition to tabling in the Dining Commons, student interns also develop educational brochures and PowerPoint slides for the programs to aid in their outreach efforts. Student interns also assist in tracking dining utilities, such as the amount of water, gas, electric, and food waste that are used by the Dining Services. This data is used to help the Dining Services work towards achieving more sustainable practices and to remain Green Business Certified. Dining Commons Interns also engage in outreach activities through tabling once per month during Green Mondays; during these particular days, interns engage with students about the nutritional and environmental benefits of consuming a vegetarian meal. The students most affected by the Environmental Interns are the students who have an active meal plan on campus and are directly exposed to the education opportunities provided by Dining Services. Interns are there to educate other students and provide them with educational tools to make the best possible eating decisions, therefore the interns gain valuable experience in food and sustainability outreach and education.

Currently, there are two student interns (student educators). Interns apply to participate in the program by submitting an application, resume, cover letter, and transcript.

Interns are expected to dedicate a minimum of 6 hours per week and commit to all three-quarters throughout the academic year. During this time, interns are given the opportunity to work alongside professionals in the field and interact with Dining Services staff on projects. Interns are provided the necessary knowledge and training for projects as they are assigned. Interns meet with Danielle Kemp, the adviser for the program, on a weekly basis, and there are multiple opportunities for one-on-one mentorships throughout the year. The students also reach out to their faculty adviser, David Cleveland, a researcher involved in sustainable agrifood systems, depending on the projects they are working on.

By having a staff and faculty adviser for the internship, the university supports the program through staff time.

The Health and Wellness Program strives to encourage sustainability through healthy living and buying locally sourced, organic food products. Health and Wellness interns and leaders are responsible for facilitating all workshops, marketing, tabling, events, and field trips. Interns are responsible for infusing UCSB with positive, proactive, evidence-based health and wellness messages and activities. Some past peer-to-peer outreach activities include educating students on Healthy Eating and Living (HEAL) that included spreading awareness of the importance of eating sustainable, locally sourced, organic food. The program provided fruit bowls on campus to students and worked with the local Bragg Health Institute to allow students to have access to sustainable, healthy foods. Health and Wellness interns also educate students on how to practice smart, sustainable shopping at local farmers markets and work with the local food co-op. The program also works with the Residence Hall Association Leadership to select a Health and Wellness Chair (HAWC) in each residence hall to bridge Residential Life and Health and Wellness programs by providing information, programming, and resources to their peers. Each quarter, Health and Wellness interns and student leaders track the number of students that attend each event put on by the Health and Wellness program. These numbers are then totaled to approximate the number of students served by the program. All Health and Wellness programs are open to all students on campus, but the interns primarily target the undergraduate population and send staff representatives to address any requests from the graduate student population. For this reason, we aren't including graduate students in the number of students served above.

There are currently 15 student interns and 21 student leaders in the Health and Wellness program. Interns and leaders are selected through an application process, in addition to completing basic training, attending workshops, and completing certification in a Health Skills topic. Topics include healthy eating and living, sex and relationships, alcohol and other drugs, and well-being. In addition to interns and student leaders, the Health and Wellness program also has 9 Health and Wellness Chairs representing the program in undergraduate residence halls. These representatives are chosen through an application process and receive training through Health and Wellness and the Residence Hall Association.

Student leaders in the Health and Wellness program receive 50 hours of training, on top of the intern training they need to apply to be leaders. Interns receive approximately 20 hours of training divided into three main categories: 8 hours health skills, 8 hours life skills, 4 hours intern skills.

The Health and Wellness program is paid with a mix of state funds through Student Affairs, small gifts, and student lock in fees. The University also supports the program by providing office space and staff.

The Environmental Awareness Chairs (EACs) are elected by their respective Residence Hall to serve as an executive member of the Hall Council for the entirety of the school year. After they are elected, they receive training from the Environmental Awareness Chair Coordinator (EACC) and their advisors so as to best serve their halls and fulfill their obligations. As EACs, they are charged with striving to educate their peers on environmental issues, positively influencing the residents' habits (for example, encouraging them to recycle, have a more sustainable diet, reducing shower times and energy usage, etc.), increasing awareness towards global and local issues regarding the environment, and hosting environmentally-themed events to engage students throughout the year.

The Environmental Awareness Chair of each of the 10 Residence Halls is selected by their peers via an online ballot. The candidates for the position must attend an info session concerning their duties as EAC and as an executive member of Hall Council. Then, they are required to submit a description of their expertise and experience in environmentalism and sustainability so that the voters may take this into consideration. Lastly, the voting commences, and whoever receives the most votes wins the position of EAC for their particular Residence Hall.

After the EACs are appointed by their peers, they must attend the Leadership Forum. The forum is one day long, during which they learn about the Residence Halls Association (RHA), about their positions, and about the EACC and also attend workshops on environmental and sustainable practices. Examples of subjects they learn about include: the RHA Green Bill and how to enforce it, how to effectively use RHA's Compostable Materials Bank, guidelines and tips to keep their events environmentally-friendly, and how to do outreach and engage students in matters of sustainability. Throughout the year, the EACs also have regular meetings and one-on-one encounters with the EACC and their Assistant Resident Director to increase their knowledge and expertise concerning their position and obligation. In addition to this, they are encouraged to attend workshops, lectures, seminars, and events hosted by other on-campus organizations related to the environment and their position as EAC.

The EACs receive support in the form of advisors (which are the Assistant Resident Directors of their Residence Halls and the EACC), as well as financial support from the Residence Halls Association.