| Overall Rating | Gold |
|---|---|
| Overall Score | 68.42 |
| Liaison | Austin Sutherland |
| Submission Date | Feb. 18, 2025 |
University of Pennsylvania
EN-5: Outreach Campaign
| Status | Score | Responsible Party |
|---|---|---|
|
4.00 / 4.00 |
Has the institution held a sustainability-related outreach campaign during the previous three years that was directed at students and yielded measurable, positive results in advancing sustainability?:
Has the institution held a sustainability-related outreach campaign during the previous three years that was directed at employees and yielded measurable, positive results in advancing sustainability?:
1st campaign
A brief description of the campaign:
Both Climate Week and Earth Week, held in October 2022 and April 2023, respectively, featured events centered on environmental justice. Organized by faculty, students, and staff, and often the product of collaboration between two or more campus groups or departments, both series demonstrated the University community’s commitment to an equitable transition to a carbon neutral Penn.
A brief description of the measured positive impact(s) of the campaign:
Climate Week at Penn has featured over 100 events and several thousand participants since its launch in 2020, conveying urgency and a spirit of innovation, locally and globally, with an emphasis on the intersections of race, equity, and the environment. Climate Week is run by an organizational committee comprised of key faculty, student leaders, the Environmental Innovations Initiative, and the Penn Sustainability Office, with EII as the administrative lead for the series. It highlights and promotes the wide range of research, education, and outreach that combats climate change and promotes sustainability. The 2022 Climate Week keynote event, Native Land, Native Knowledge: A Conversation and Rap Performance About the Climate Crisis, kicked off the series on College Green. Alumna Megan Red Shirt-Shaw from the Oglala Lakota tribe keynoted the event. It was followed by a discussion with Megan and John Little from the Standing Rock Dakota tribe which was led by Toyce Holmes with Penn Alumni Relations to share their perspectives on the role of indigenous knowledge in the climate movement. The event that also marked Indigenous Peoples’ Day.
if reporting an additional campaign, provide:
2nd campaign
A brief description of the campaign (2nd campaign):
From April 20 - 26, the campus community continued an annual tradition of celebrating Earth Week at Penn, with Penn Sustainability again serving as a hub of programming and promotion. Inspired by the Earth Week at Penn 2024 theme of Restore & Regenerate, student clubs, academic departments, staff offices, and school green teams organized over 40 events championing environmental causes and advancing climate action.
A brief description of the measured positive impact(s) of the campaign (2nd campaign):
Staff, students, faculty, administrators, and alumni participated in a diverse array of innovative programming offerings, including a flower pressing demonstration, climate careers workshop, green infrastructure tour, Earth Week Quizzo, and a tote bag design, along with plenty of though-provoking panels and seminars. Spirits were high and engagement was strong throughout the week. An e-waste drive hosted by the Penn Dental Medicine Go Green Initiative collected over 1,200 of materials, while a sustainable catering event at Penn Engineering attracted more than 100 attendees. In addition to convening the Earth Week Organizing Committee, maintaining the Earth Week calendar, and encouraging University-wide participation, Penn Sustainability helped produce two events, including a discussion with campus fleet managers on the transitioning to electric vehicles, and GreenFest, a climate and sustainability festival on the final day of Earth Week.
Optional Fields
Environmental wellness has been incorporated as a formal component of the Wellness at Penn Initiative. 1,099 members of the campus community participated in the 30x30 Challenge, which incentivizes time spent in nature throughout the month of April. Programming in 2023 included Campus Recreation's Outdoor Bootcamp and Penn HR's Outdoor Wellness Walk
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.