Overall Rating Silver - expired
Overall Score 61.37
Liaison Suzanne Davis
Submission Date Oct. 26, 2020

STARS v2.2

University of Queensland
EN-1: Student Educators Program

Status Score Responsible Party
Complete 1.75 / 4.00
"---" indicates that no data was submitted for this field

Number of students enrolled for credit:
53,696

Total number of students served by a peer-to-peer sustainability outreach and education program:
45,079

Percentage of students served by a peer-to-peer sustainability outreach and education program:
83.95

Name of the student educators program (1st program):
UQ Sustainability Week

A brief description of the student educators program (1st program):

UQ Sustainability Week is an annual week long festival that aims to engage, educate and entertain the UQ community and beyond on all aspects of sustainability. With its diverse line-up of events and activities, Sustainability Week is a community-focused way of embedding sustainability in the university’s culture. It’s also the largest event of its kind in the Australian tertiary sector, and rivals the size of equivalent international events.

Sustainability Week activities include workshops, seminars and lunchtime lectures to film screenings, clothing rummages, tree plantings, solar and garden tours, food trucks and information sessions. There are also educational articles and online DIY activities to extend the outreach to online participants.

Sustainability Week aims to promote positive behavioural change by raising awareness of environmental challenges and actively engaging the community to participate, organise and host their own events.

Students are supported as they plan, organise and run events to promote sustainability and engage with other students, clubs, societies and community members.

The festival events run for a week, however the preparation, student hosts planning, meeting, organising, allocating resources, and marketing their events runs for approximately 3 months in the lead up. Planning from within the Sustainability Office commences 12 months prior to the week's events.

Each year the program is at https://sustainability.uq.edu.au/uqsustainabilityweek
Previous year's programs are also online, recent examples include:
https://sustainability.uq.edu.au/event/2028/uq-sustainability-week-program-2019
https://sustainability.uq.edu.au/event/1147/uq-sustainability-week-2018
https://sustainability.uq.edu.au/event/597/uq-sustainability-week-2017


A brief description of the student educators program’s target audience (1st program):

All events are free and are open to students, staff, Alumni as well as the wider local, state, Australian and international community.

UQ Sustainability Week commenced in 2013 and the 7th consecutive festival was held in 2019. Approximately 60 events are held annually throughout the week with a significant outreach to well in excess of 240,000 in 2019.

A lead student educator is engaged over a 6 month period to organise and guide events and other students. This role works 14.5 hours for 20 weeks = 290 hours

Other student educators work approx 1 hour per week during the preparation and delivery phases for 12 weeks in total = 360 hours

Total hours worked = 290 + 360 = 650 = for 30 students, over 12 weeks, averages as 1.8 hours overall


Number of trained student educators (1st program):
30

Number of weeks the student educators program is active annually (1st program):
12

Average or expected number of hours worked weekly per trained student educator (1st program):
1.80

Total number of hours worked annually by trained student educators (1st program):
650

Website URL where information about the student educators program is available (1st program):
Name of the student educators program (2nd program):
UQ Unwrapped

A brief description of the student educators program (2nd program):

UQ Unwrapped is an initiative to bring together the entire UQ community to act on the issue of single-use plastic consumption through an action-based membership model and student–staff focused engagement.
UQ Unwrapped has been operating over the past 8 months and currently has 21 members, 3 plastic-free champions and has hosted 13 certified UQ Unwrapped Sustainable Events. Our members, champions and events have saved of approximately 800,000 plastic items going to landfill.

How it works:
UQ retailers, events, and markets can join the plastic-free movement and we help them work towards eliminating their single-use plastic items and replacing them with identified reusable or compostable alternatives. Those who significantly reduce their plastic use become 'Plastic Free Champions'.
We have developed resources to assist, including a retailer’s guide, Sustainable Events Guide, Mobile Vendor Guide, information on sourcing alternative products, certificates and display signs, as well as creating a system of promotional benefits to reward achievements.
UQ students and staff can commit to the plastic free movement and support UQ retailers that have committed to reducing their plastic use by joining the UQ Unwrapped Facebook group or UQ Uwrapped workshops or presentations.
UQ Unwrapped also has a strong volunteer base, with over 120 volunteers in 2019 helping to educate the UQ community on the reduction of waste to landfill and on ‘which bin does it go in’.


A brief description of the student educators program’s target audience (2nd program):

120 volunteers have been trained and their role is to educate the UQ community on the reduction of waste to landfill and on ‘which bin does it go in’. Students educate the broad community which includes the student cohort as well as staff, alumni and members of the public on campus.

In addition to this:
· 55 students and staff attended the ‘Unwrapping UQ Unwrapped’ workshop, brainstorming ideas to increase student engagement with the program.
· The Brisbane Yoga Festival, also obtained UQ Unwrapped Sustainable Event certification reaching a further 700 community members.
· 275 participants have attended UQ Unwrapped workshops and presentations in 2019.
· 26 food outlets and catering providers including the UQ Union food outlets participate as UQ Unwrapped Members or Champions
· The Facebook Group has approximately 870 members


Number of trained student educators (2nd program):
120

Number of weeks the student educators program is active annually (2nd program):
8

Average or expected number of hours worked weekly per trained student educator (2nd program):
15

Total number of hours worked annually by trained student educators (2nd program):
720

Website URL where information about the student educators program is available (2nd program):
Name of the student educators program (3rd program):
Wildlife Rangers

A brief description of the student educators program (3rd program):

Wildlife rangers is a peer to peer student program where a core group of students are trained in monitoring and protecting wildlife on campus. Training materials are provided and a Ranger Resource kit is given to each trained student educator.

In 2019 the program focused on Ibis activity on St Lucia campus and the interaction between the bird species and the University community.

Students were trained and then worked on campus in the 'hot spot' areas where Ibis populations frequent to educate others on species management, appropriate human interactions and species management.


A brief description of the student educators program’s target audience (3rd program):

The program is designed primarily for student to student education with student Wildlife Rangers educating students at the target audience. The program operates in the areas on St Lucia campus where the Ibis population and activity is the greatest.

Other community members benefiting from the program include staff, campus businesses and the general public on campus.


Number of trained student educators (3rd program):
20

Number of weeks the student educators program is active annually (3rd program):
4

Average or expected number of hours worked weekly per trained student educator (3rd program):
2

Total number of hours worked annually by trained student educators (3rd program):
160

Website URL where information about the student educators program is available (3rd program):
A brief description of all other student peer-to-peer sustainability outreach and education programs:
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Number of trained student educators (all other programs):
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Number of weeks, on average, the student educators programs are active annually (all other programs):
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Average or expected number of hours worked weekly per student educator (all other programs) :
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Total number of hours worked annually by trained student educators (all other programs):
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Grand total number of hours worked annually by trained student sustainability educators (all programs):
1,530

Hours worked annually by trained student sustainability educators per student served by a peer-to-peer program:
0.03

Website URL where information about the student sustainability educators programs is available:
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Additional documentation to support the submission:
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Data source(s) and notes about the submission:
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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.