| Overall Rating | Gold - expired |
|---|---|
| Overall Score | 65.35 |
| Liaison | Christa Rieck |
| Submission Date | Nov. 23, 2015 |
| Executive Letter | Download |
University of Houston
EN-1: Student Educators Program
| Status | Score | Responsible Party |
|---|---|---|
|
4.00 / 4.00 |
Does the institution coordinate one or more ongoing student, peer-to-peer sustainability outreach and education programs that meet the criteria for this credit?:
Number of degree-seeking students enrolled at the institution:
Name of the student educators program (1st program):
Number of students served (i.e. directly targeted) by the program (1st program):
A brief description of the program, including examples of peer-to-peer outreach activities (1st program):
The student sustainability team is the heart of the office of sustainability. They represent diverse backgrounds both academically and culturally. The students are paid and work part time to educate campus members and improve campus sustainability. Current positions on the team include graduate assistant, office and team lead, communications assistant, outreach assistant, garden assistant, bike program assistant and waste diversion assistant. All student leaders, no matter their specific projects, perform outreach duties and are involved in the decision-making process for outreach activities. Outreach efforts include social media and digital engagement, garden tours, organic gardening education programs, volunteer programs, movies and seminars, blog writing, monthly newsletters, large-scale events like Sustainability Fest, Earth Week, Cleanup Day, Bike to UH Day, and more. Student leaders coordinate additional projects like data collection, report creation and plan development.
A brief description of how the student educators are selected (1st program):
Students are chosen through an application and interview process typical to what they will experience upon graduation. The selection process is meant to serve as a professional development opportunity and helps to ensure that the student leaders are dedicated, willing to grow, and passionate about or show interest in sustainability.
A brief description of the formal training that the student educators receive (1st program):
The members of the student sustainability team receive constant hands-on training while working on projects. Skills learned depend on the specific team roles and include graphic design, news writing, event planning, engagement and planning strategies, data collection and measurement, web and social media tactics, sustainability-themed training, webinars, seminars, and more. Student staff receive individual training upon starting on the student team, which is coordinated by prior students in their roles or by full-time staff. Formal semester-based sustainability training has included professional development and professional communications training. Other formal training is currently in development and will be conducted by the office and team lead. The team also holds weekly meetings to plan, give updates, and make team decisions.
A brief description of the financial or other support the institution provides to the program (1st program):
The student sustainability team's wages are funded through Auxiliary Services. The programs that they coordinate are funded through a small operating budget for the Office of Sustainability.
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):
A brief description of how the student educators are selected (2nd program):
A brief description of the formal training that the student educators receive (2nd program):
A brief description of the financial or other support the institution provides to the program (2nd program):
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):
A brief description of how the student educators are selected (3rd program):
A brief description of the formal training that the student educators receive (3rd program):
A brief description of the financial or other support the institution provides to the program (3rd program):
Name(s) of the student educator program(s) (all other programs):
Number of students served (i.e. directly targeted) by all other student educator programs:
A brief description of the program(s), including examples of peer-to-peer outreach activities (all other programs):
A brief description of how the student educators are selected (all other programs):
A brief description of the formal training that the student educators receive (all other programs):
A brief description of the financial or other support the institution provides to the program (all other programs):
Total number of hours student educators are engaged in peer-to-peer sustainability outreach and education activities annually:
The website URL for the peer-to-peer student outreach and education program(s):
Data source(s) and notes about the submission:
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.