| Overall Rating | Gold |
|---|---|
| Overall Score | 68.42 |
| Liaison | Austin Sutherland |
| Submission Date | Feb. 18, 2025 |
University of Pennsylvania
EN-7: Employee Educators Program
| Status | Score | Responsible Party |
|---|---|---|
|
1.60 / 3.00 |
Part 1. Percentage of employees served by a peer-to-peer, sustainability educators program
Total number of employees served by a peer-to-peer sustainability outreach and education program:
Percentage of employees served by a peer-to-peer sustainability outreach and education program:
1st program
A brief description of the employee educators program (1st program):
Designed to improve environmental awareness and behavior change, the program builds knowledge and leadership across Penn’s schools and centers by empowering individuals to champion sustainability at Penn. Members work within their departments and the Penn community share information and skills aimed at supporting the University’s environmental goals. Led by Penn Sustainability, PEACE is comprised of more than 150 staff and faculty members across the University representing a diverse set of offices, schools, and centers.
A brief description of the employee educators program’s target audience (1st program):
Faculty and Staff
Number of trained employee educators (1st program):
Number of weeks the employee educators program is active annually (1st program):
Average or expected number of hours worked weekly per trained employee educator (1st program):
Total number of hours worked annually by trained employee educators (1st program):
Website URL where information about the employee educators program is available (1st program) :
If reporting employees served by additional peer-to-peer programs, provide:
2nd Program
A brief description of the employee educators program (2nd program):
The Sustainability Coordinators are a collaborative group of campus leaders representing Penn’s Schools and Centers that strive to implement significant operational and behavior changes to support the University’s Climate and Sustainability Action Plan 3.0 and drive a shift to carbon neutrality. The Sustainability Coordinators act as a bridge to Penn’s senior leadership through the use of interdisciplinary, data-driven best practices and communicating accomplishments within their respective areas of campus. Sustainability Coordinators attend monthly group meetings, lead their School’s participation in seasonal awareness campaigns, recruit Staff and Faculty Eco-Reps, and help to identify offices to participate in the Green Office program and labs to participate in the Green Labs program.
A brief description of the employee educators program’s target audience (2nd program):
Sustainability Coordinators often liaise with their respective Green Teams, applying what they learn from each other and from the Penn Sustainability Office to progamming at their School or Center. They also communicate more broadly with their entire School and Center populations, sharing information about sustainabiliy-focused events and other engagement opportunities. Further, they work with operational staff to conserve energy on campus Red Days, lessening electricity costs and easing grid demand.
Number of trained employee educators (2nd program):
Number of weeks the employee educators program is active annually (2nd program):
Average or expected number of hours worked weekly per trained employee educator (2nd program):
Total number of hours worked annually by trained employee educators (2nd program):
Website URL where information about the employee educators program is available (2nd program):
If reporting employees served by more than two programs, provide:
Additional Programs
Number of trained employee educators (all other programs):
Number of weeks, on average, the employee educators programs are active annually (all other programs):
Average or expected number of hours worked weekly per trained employee educator (all other programs):
Total number of hours worked annually by trained employee educators (all other programs):
Part 2. Educator hours per employee served by a peer-to-peer program
Hours worked annually by trained employee sustainability educators per employee served by a peer-to-peer program:
Optional Fields
Additional documentation to support the submission:
Data source(s) and notes about the submission:
At the University of Pennsylvania, employee educator programs like the Penn Employee Alliance for Climate & Environment (PEACE) and the Sustainability Coordinators program ensure that 100% of staff and faculty are served by peer-led sustainability outreach and education. Sustainability Coordinators collaborate across Penn’s schools and centers to implement operational and behavioral changes supporting the University's Climate and Sustainability Action Plan. These coordinators bridge the gap between staff, faculty, and senior leadership, ensuring the widespread dissemination of sustainability practices through campaigns, Eco-Rep recruitment, and participation in programs like Green Office and Green Labs. Together, these efforts create a comprehensive network of peer-to-peer education that engages all employees in advancing sustainability.
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.