| Overall Rating | Silver - expired |
|---|---|
| Overall Score | 53.50 |
| Liaison | Amy Kadrie |
| Submission Date | Jan. 31, 2019 |
| Executive Letter | Download |
University of Rochester
EN-1: Student Educators Program
| Status | Score | Responsible Party |
|---|---|---|
|
2.08 / 4.00 |
Karen
Berger Ph.D. Earth and Environmental Sciences |
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 Eco-Reps are a select group of freshmen, led by a team of experienced upperclassmen, who work to educate their fellow residents about more sustainable living, with a focus on the college setting. They inspire environmental responsibility by creating eco-boards in their residence hall, which provide tips and information for greener living as well as hosting hall programs, which bring the group together with an environmentally themed activity. Eco-Reps also work closely with other student leaders on campus to host energy competitions, discussions, hall programs, as well as volunteering for local organizations and community events.
A brief description of how the student educators are selected:
Prospective Eco-Reps fill out an application and are selected based on their past leadership experiences and abilities, as well as their understanding and commitment to sustainability.
A brief description of the formal training that the student educators receive to prepare them to conduct peer outreach:
EcoReps participate in a two-day pre-orientation before the regular orientation begins for first-year students. During the year, they enroll in a 2-credit course each semester where they are taught basic information about environmental issues, communication, and leadership, and participate in committees to develop education and outreach programs on campus.
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):
Residential Life provides free summer housing for the student EcoRep coordinators and directors, room and board for all of the EcoReps for the two-day pre-orientation, and a budget for the EcoReps’ residential hall programming. The Dean of the College provides stipends for the three EcoRep student staff and a portion of the faculty advisor’s salary. The Rochester Center for Community Leadership funds a course grant to help pay a community-engagement student coordinator, transportation to off-campus events, and stipends for class speakers. The Center for Excellence in Teaching and Learning provides approximately 4-6 hours of summer training for the students who will be running the 2-credit course during the academic year.
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):
Dining Team Green is a group of interns hired by University of Rochester Dining Services. Team Green consists of a Student Manager, and four or five Marketing Interns and Sustainability Coordinators. They work on a number of sustainability initiatives for dining throughout the year, and serve as student liaisons between Dining Services and Rochester students. Some current and ongoing projects of Team Green include the Eco-Clamshell, the food labeling system, Meatless Monday, local purchasing, composting, Local Foods Week once a semester, and promoting reusable mugs and bags on campus.
A brief description of how the student educators are selected (2nd program):
Team Green-Dining interns apply to the program and are selected based their leadership and communication skills as well as any past work in the sustainability field.
A brief description of the formal training that the student educators receive to prepare them to conduct peer outreach (2nd program):
All Team Green members spend at least two months as an "extra" member of the team, learning the roles of each team member and working closely with others hired into the same job classification. There is a student manager for the team who works with the individual team members and serves as a resource. There is an orientation program at the beginning of each academic year. All team members are required to attend the orientation sessions.
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):
Team Green-Dining is lead by Cam Schauf, the Director of Campus Dining Services and Auxiliary Operations
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):
Facilities Team Green is a group of interns hired by University of Rochester Facilities and Services. The team consists of 3 positions; Sustainability Assistant, Sustainability Marketing Intern and Sustainability Writing Intern. Facilities Team Green's mission is to increase education and awareness of sustainability among the University of Rochester community. The team participates in many different sustainability initiatives each year to promote recycling, reduce waste, and generally encourage sustainable behaviors on campus. Monthly tabling events allows Facilities Team Green to interact with students, staff, and faculty on campus to inform them of current green initiatives and encourage participation in events such as RecycleMania. In addition to RecycleMania in the spring, Facilities Team Green assists in the GameDay Recycling Challenge, an international competition that promotes waste diversion at a home football game each fall. Together, the team uses blogging, social media, events, and word-of-mouth to educate the University of Rochester on current initiatives in sustainability.
A brief description of how the student educators are selected (3rd program):
The students submit an application and are picked on their background and interest in environmental sustainability. The program tries to find students who are motivated and passionate about sustainability and able to communicate effectively.
A brief description of the formal training that the student educators receive to prepare them to conduct peer outreach (3rd program):
Much of the training is done through online research, as Facilities has cataloged its sustainability efforts in a blog called “The Green Dandelion” and on its own sustainability webpage including annual milestones. Other training is done by learning from other team members as well as job-specific guidance fro their supervisor. The most experienced team member is appointed the “team leader” to help guide new members and get the group together on an ongoing basis.
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):
Team Green-Facilities is supported by the University of Rochester Sustainability Coordinator, Amy Kadrie.
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:
Grassroots is the University of Rochester's premier environmental action and awareness group. They work to improve our own campus through improving resource use, re-purposing space for gardens, managing recycling, supporting local foods, and increasing awareness.
Engineers for a Sustainable World (ESW) is committed to the promotion of sustainability around campus through student lead projects, informative tours of local sustainable facilities, and participating in green awareness events in the Rochester area. We strive to implement green practices on a local scale. Their most recent project involved research on a bicycle powered smoothie machine.
Simon Net Impact is a volunteer lead group that drives change by creating a like-minded community and providing events and programs that support members who aim to use business as a force for environmental and social impact.
SAVVY was founded to help increase awareness, and provide support for vegetarians, vegans, and anyone who is interested in learning about how our dietary and lifestyle choices affect us and our environment. Using vegetarianism as an educational tool, SAVVY provides the encouragement and resources necessary to enable everyone to take an active role in making society ever better. They sponsor educational events, host bi-weekly meetings, make restaurant trips, cook together at vegetarian potlucks, and work with dining services to increase the availability and quality of vegetarian and vegan options on campus.
UR Microfarm's mission is to Increase dining sustainability while also educating UR community on social justice issues surrounding food. They host general interest meetings where any student can go and learn more about what takes place at the microfarm.
Engineers Without Boarder's (EWB) goal is to support community-driven development programs worldwide. They aid in the design and implementation of sustainable engineering projects. Their current project is focusing on the rural town of Don Juan in the Dominican Republic. They are working to provide access to clean, running water to the primary school of “Escuela Taller Santa Maria Josefa Rossello” affecting the greater school community.
Greenspace is The University of Rochester's first special interest housing floor dedicated to living sustainably. A few examples of this is implementing a 5 minute shower limit as well as unplugging devices that are not being used. They are in charge of the water and energy conservation part of Recyclemania.
Eastman for Earth is a student ran group at the Eastman School of Music that is committed to providing students with opportunities to discuss and discover the human relationship with the Earth, E4E plans environmental related social events, both educational and practical, throughout the academic school year.
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.