What type of outreach materials do you use to promote sustainability on your campus?
I am curious what types of outreach/educational materials other campuses have found to be most succesful with first year students living on campus? Campus sustainability maps/tours? Sustainable living guides? I have looked at some campus examples but would love to hear what worked, what didn't and why?
Our Community College Sustainability Alliance just made a facebook page. We'll let you know how that works out.
The Campus Rec Department at Sonoma State University is trying to create some momentum for this. We incorporate sustainability into our "Rec Center tour and fun time" during Summer Orientation (required for all orientation participants), so we hit them before they even come to campus. We have student staff giving the tours in small groups, so there is a lot of student-to-student contact. We tell them about the totally cool sustainability features of our Rec Center and tell them we want them to incorporate sustainability into their everyday lives when they come to Sonoma. So, we feel we are trying to create an expectation.
Throughout the year, when students come into the Rec Center, they read "sustainability markers" around our building, educational signs about green features in our building. During many times of the year we also have green living tips or other campaigns the Campus Rec student staff spearhead. One of the most exciting programs we are planning for this spring is a 30-Day Challenge to Live Green. We saw the event on Georgia Southern's Recreation and Wellness website and just loved it. Our primary target will be on-campus residents, of which 80% are freshmen. We hope it will be a good event with lots of exposure and visibility.
Hi Niles,
At Estrella Mountain Community College we have the following so far:
External Website, Recycling Program Flyer, LEED Certified Building Info Flyer, Sustainability Announcements (mini-newsletters).
We are also working on the following: Buidling signage, food service area signage, student bookmarks w/ seedlings.
Nadine Johnson
Our First Year Programs Coordinators have been working closely with operations, curriculum and community sustainability leaders to integrate sustainability into the Welcome Week events - not just provide presentations or materials- but to make it part of the events: zero waste lunches to learn about our composting and recycling, take the bus between campuses to get freshmen over the initial hurdle of getting on the bus, and working with our vendor/sponsors to provide less waste intensive "giveaways." Presentations, open house at our Institute on the Environment and booths during the week provide opportunity to obtain specific info about bus passes, bike safety, student groups energy conservation on campus and info about the sustainability minor offered to all majors. The 200+ Welcome Week leaders were provided campus Sustainability training to support the efforts and awareness messages.
With a big campus and so much "data" hitting the 5000+ first year students at once - our First Year programs group is working to reduce give outs and provides reminders during the first semester via a e-newsletter. There is on Q&A fun drawing/lottery - students answer questions posed by various depts on campus - including sustainabilty. Prizes are provided by campus depts and local business/restaurants.
- We had one postcard with the energy pledge and energy conservation information.
- Our Residential Life website and orientation information provides suggestions for greener products to bring on campus. There are also in-room recycling bins provided.
- The student's Welcome Week brochure has tips on sustainability and energy scattered throughout.
-One of the most popular pieces of information students requested was a list of appx 20 student groups on campus that are closely aligned with environmental and sustainability issues - from every type interest. This was part of a presentation provided on our campus sustainability programs.
Amy Short, University of Minnesota
Thanks, Amy. This is very helpful; we're considering doing something similar at Ohio State.
Rick Livingston, OSU
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In addition to a green living guide for freshman, we have found that face-to-face interaction is effective for relationship building with new freshman. On move-in day this year, we met each new family outside the building where they picked up their keys, etc. with a personal recycling bin and re-usable shopping bag. Since students have to collect a variety of materials that day, the bin served as a carry all. Several parents commented on how helpful it was to have the bin for that reason. It was nice to see a sea of families carrying blue bins all over campus. With only 1200 members of the freshman class, we can have this personalized interaction. It set the stage for a sustainability theme for the first semester for this entire class. We followed up with an orientation speaker on sustainability. Each new student attended the orientation speaker event with their advising group and discussed the speech over dinner.