| Overall Rating | Gold - expired |
|---|---|
| Overall Score | 68.81 |
| Liaison | Christa Rieck |
| Submission Date | Jan. 4, 2019 |
| Executive Letter | Download |
University of Houston
EN-1: Student Educators Program
| Status | Score | Responsible Party |
|---|---|---|
|
4.00 / 4.00 |
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:
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:
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 to prepare them to conduct peer outreach:
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. The team also holds weekly meetings to plan, give updates, and make team decisions.
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 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 to prepare them to conduct peer outreach (2nd program):
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):
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 to prepare them to conduct peer outreach (3rd program):
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):
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:
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.