University of Texas at Austin
EN-1: Student Educators Program
| Status | Score | Responsible Party |
|---|---|---|
|
4.00 / 4.00 |
Rocky
Baier Data Analyst and Reporting Coordinator Office of Sustainability |
Part 1. Percentage of students served by a peer-to-peer, sustainability educators program
Total number of students served by a peer-to-peer sustainability outreach and education program:
Percentage of students served by a peer-to-peer sustainability outreach and education program:
1st program
A brief description of the student educators program (1st program):
The Office of Sustainability hosts three major student program Climate Leaders, Green Fund, and the Campus Environmental Center (CEC). Below will discuss all three programs and their peer-to-peer impact.
Climate Leaders (LEAP):
Office of Sustainability launched the UT Climate Leaders Program in Fall 2022. The Climate Leaders Program (Climate LEAP) offers a cohort of ten students hands-on, practical experience developing a greenhouse gas emissions reduction plan for a UT college, school, or unit. Climate LEAP is a year-long, paid, internship program open to undergraduates of ALL majors.
For 2023-2024, the Climate LEAP cohort will be working with five UT Austin colleges to develop college-level greenhouse gas emissions reduction proposals. Climate Leaders work in interdisciplinary pairs with, one student acting as a Climate Data Analyst and the other as a Climate Engagement Specialist. Each pair works with a single college. Climate LEAP cohort meetings include presentations, workshops, and discussions led by experts in diverse fields, providing students with the broad knowledge base needed to be successful as future sustainability and climate professionals.
Green Fund:
The Green Fund, formerly Green Fee, is a competitive grant program funded by UT Austin tuition fees to support sustainability-related projects and initiatives proposed by university students, faculty or staff. Funds are awarded each May through an annual grant competition. Alternatively, a limited number of mini grants are awarded on a rolling basis.
Since the program’s creation in 2010, the Green Fund program generated almost $5 million in support of over 200 projects to students, faculty, and staff. A student majority committee solicits and reviews proposals and awards Green Fund grants. Each year 6 students are appointed for positions on the committee, they also help with outreach and peer-to-peer engagement.
Campus Environmental Center:
The CEC is a sponsored student organization within the Office of Sustainability. The CEC's mission is "The CEC provides diverse opportunities to catalyze a sustainable culture that is regenerative and accessible to the UT community."
Each year the CEC hires ~12 student leaders to conduct various types of outreach activities to their peers. Student leaders work on a variety of projects, some of which center around peer-to-peer outreach activities. The CEC has a robust structure where each program listed below has Team Members. Team Members are unpaid students that hold leadership roles in their specific project team, each year, our numbers shift, and we tend to have 60-80 members.
Programs/initiatives include:
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Education & Outreach: Student-led, campus-wide educational workshops, service events, and tabling educational initiatives.
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Green Events: Student-led consultation service that educates and supports other student organizations in hosting sustainable events.
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Microfarm: Student-run urban farm and community garden with weekly workdays where students and student organizations learn about and participate in sustainable agriculture.
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Trash to Treasure: Move-out donation drive and pop-up thrift sales where clothing and home goods are sold for $1 each. The CEC also engages with students through a monthly newsletter and social media to share green tips, articles, events/opportunities, and more.
A brief description of the student educators program’s target audience (1st program):
The Office of Sustainability and its programs serve the entire campus, including students, staff, and faculty. More specifically, LEAP students work with specific colleges to help reduce emissions, CEC students serve the entire campus community in their programming, and Green Fund students award money to Green Fund applicants who can be staff, students, and faculty.
Number of trained student educators (1st program):
Number of weeks the student educators program is active annually (1st program):
Average or expected number of hours worked weekly per trained student educator (1st program):
Total number of hours worked annually by trained student educators (1st program):
Website URL where information about the student educators program is available (1st program):
If reporting students served by additional peer-to-peer programs, provide:
2nd program
A brief description of the student educators program (2nd program):
UT Farm Stand is a student-run sustainability program based in University Housing and Dining. The program encompasses two campus food gardens, a biweekly farmers market, and zero waste initiatives. Student workers and volunteers produce educational programs, events, posters, etc., for the UT community. These students are advised by professional staff but are otherwise given the autonomy to generate educational programming in a way most effective amongst their peers.
A brief description of the student educators program’s target audience (2nd program):
UT students are the primary target audience; however, the reach of UT Farm Stand’s educational programs reach the entire UT community. Some programs, such as the Plate Waste Initiative, have a target audience with on-campus residents.
Number of trained student educators (2nd program):
Number of weeks the student educators program is active annually (2nd program):
Average or expected number of hours worked weekly per trained student educator (2nd program):
Total number of hours worked annually by trained student educators (2nd program):
Website URL where information about the student educators program is available (2nd program):
If reporting students served by three or more peer-to-peer programs, provide:
3rd program
A brief description of the student educators program (3rd program):
The Resource Recovery Student Internship Program promotes students to make a direct and tangible impact on our campus with a focus on support to classroom and office building staff and faculty, as well as provides the opportunity to develop the skill set necessary to transition from college to the workforce. Interns develop leadership, interpersonal, and critical thinking skills in the process of providing valuable insight to zero waste initiatives, assisting in project development and implementation, and serving as an incubator and testing organization for new ideas.
Resource Recovery Interns are a community partner with University Leadership Network, Bridging Disciplines Program (Connecting Experience), and ProjectLEAD. Resource Recovery supports classroom projects, Sustainability Studies internships, Capstone Projects, and BDP Connecting Experiences which, can directly benefit our program and your resume. Students can apply their skills to real world problems.
Students utilize campus as a living lab to further the work being done to achieve zero waste on campus and develop valuable job skill sets in the process. Resource Recovery provides thorough onboarding to ensure interns are knowledgeable and confident educating others on zero waste.
A brief description of the student educators program’s target audience (3rd program):
We provide educational trainings and resources to all students to learn about UT’s zero-waste goals. Tabling sessions are conducted several times per semester to reach the student population with zero waste guidance. During the summer, programs shift to target new student orientation with an educational session and guided diversion at a weekly lunch.
Number of trained student educators (3rd program):
Number of weeks the student educators program is active annually (3rd program):
Average or expected number of hours worked weekly per trained student educator (3rd program):
Total number of hours worked annually by trained student educators (3rd program):
Website URL where information about the student educators program is available (3rd program):
Additional programs
The Sustainability Communications team is comprised of three students who create and disseminate information for the Office of Sustainability through social media and a monthly newsletter. Social media, in particular, targets students and aims to educate students about sustainability issues as well as campus sustainability events.
The Landscape Services student interns coordinate on-campus creek clean-ups for student organizations, teach fellow students about native plants at campus events, and assist the Landscape Services staff in removing invasive species, planting native species, and managing the Little Blue prairie restoration site.
Number of trained student educators (all other programs):
Number of weeks, on average, the student educators programs are active annually (all other programs):
Average or expected number of hours worked weekly per student educator (all other programs) :
Total number of hours worked annually by trained student educators (all other programs):
Part 2. Educator hours per student served by a peer-to-peer educator program
Hours worked annually by trained student sustainability educators per student served by a peer-to-peer program:
Optional Fields
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.