Cal Poly Humboldt
ER-1: Student Sustainability Educators Program

PowerSave Green Campus is a student-driven energy efficiency education program that promotes careers in the field, generates actual energy savings, increases awareness of the importance of energy efficiency, and encourages academic infusion of sustainability concepts. Projects range from energy audits and assessments, residential and laboratory energy competitions, intern-led and faculty sponsored academic courses, green career fairs, and energy efficiency technology retrofits. PowerSave Campus interns work closely with faculty, staff, administrators and other students to engage them in their projects, spearheading educational campaigns that involve the entire campus community. A few examples of peer to peer outreach activities that have taken place at Humboldt include the mock energy bills that were posted at residence halls to make students aware of how much energy is used in the dorms and energy audit trainings that take place throughout the year.

Student educators are selected through an interview process. Interested candidates are encouraged to apply to open positions, for which they must submit a resume and writing sample. Qualified candidates - usually those with good writing and project management skills, and technical or outreach experience are invited for an interview.

PowerSave interns learn how to perform energy audits from local energy professionals and other trained interns. Training on additional technical and professional development topics takes place at semi-annual conferences, but the topics will vary.

The team has two staff advisors who attend meetings and provide the team with guidance. The team has also applied for and received funds through revenue sharing and the Humboldt Energy Independence Fund.

The Waste Reduction & Resource Awareness Program (WRRAP) is funded by the Associated Students of Humboldt State University. The program’s mission is to foster engagement in waste reduction, composting, recycling and reuse across the campus community and beyond. WRRAP is comprised of five branches: Education, Compost, ROSE (Reusable Office Supply Exchange), HSU Take Back the Tap, and Zero Waste. Each department is charged with education and outreach to further their goals and the overall mission of WRRAP (www.humboldt.edu/wrrap). The Education Department hosts workshops and events for the student body that are designed to raise awareness of active participation in waste reduction. These include waste reduction workshops for incoming freshmen during the Humboldt Orientation Program, the very popular Clothing Exchange held each semester, outreach coordination for HSU’s annual participation in RecycleMania and the Game Day Challenge, film screenings and discussions, and the facilitation of the WRRAP Club for students interested in volunteering. The Compost Department manages a compost demonstration site on campus and facilitates workshops on making and utilizing compost. ROSE manages a space on campus for the donation and re-distribution of office and classroom supplies, while hosting workshops on re-use and re-purposing materials, such as notebook and paper making workshops. The Zero Waste department assists departments and student groups in making their campus events zero waste, and conducts workshops for students on zero waste lifestyle choices. Take Back the Tap promotes the elimination of bottled water by hosting hydration stations at campus events, football games and commencement, while conducting water-related outreach and education events during Water Awareness Month.

The campus Sustainability & Waste Coordinator is responsible for advising WRRAP. Students are hired, through a formal hiring process, based on their background, understanding of waste reduction, and their passion for student engagement and sustainability. The advisor and other WRRAP employees provide training to new hires.

Training takes place at strategic planning sessions held at the start of each semester. Most new hires overlap with the employee they will be replacing so that training can also take place on the job. Furthermore, each new hire is provided with a Staff Handbook to orient them to their position.

WRRAP employees are paid an hourly wage and enjoy a budget from which they can draw financial support to develop and implement their projects.