| Overall Rating | Silver - expired |
|---|---|
| Overall Score | 61.04 |
| Liaison | Tina Woolston |
| Submission Date | March 1, 2019 |
| Executive Letter | Download |
Tufts University
EN-7: Employee Educators Program
| Status | Score | Responsible Party |
|---|---|---|
|
1.10 / 3.00 |
Shoshana
Blank Education and Outreach Program Administrator Office of Sustainability |
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Total number of employees (staff + faculty, headcount):
4,982
Number of employees served (i.e. directly targeted) by a peer-to-peer sustainability outreach and education program (avoid double-counting):
1,822
Percentage of employees served by a peer-to-peer educator program:
36.57
1st Program
Eco-Ambassadors
Number of employees served (i.e. directly targeted) by the program (headcount):
1,822
A brief description of the program, including examples of peer-to-peer outreach activities:
Through an education- and action-focused curriculum, the Eco-Ambassador program provides participants with the resources, skills, and knowledge necessary to effect change, serve as leaders, and promote sustainable behaviors both in their offices and in the larger Tufts community. Using the tools, information, and competencies developed during sessions facilitated by the Tufts Office of Sustainability, Eco-Ambassadors lead departmental efforts to implement, and educate colleagues about, environmentally sustainable practices and receive ongoing resources and support from the Office of Sustainability. The Eco-Ambassador program is open to both staff and faculty.
Eco-Ambassadors often go on to get their office Green Office Certified. They also will do green projects in their office such as starting a compost bin, a TerraCycle bin, get the office to make more sustainable purchases and host zero-waste events, and other projects that may contribute to the sustainability of the office's operations. They receive 3 specialty newsletters a year, in addition to other timely messages from the Office of Sustainability and the regular monthly newsletter and they are able to pass on new information to their colleagues (e.g. a change in recycling rules).
Once a year, Eco-Ambassadors are invited to a reception to recognize new Eco-Ambassadors and Green Office Certifications with the Tufts President. They also are invite to around two field trips to sustainability sites each year (e.g. recycling MRF or LEED building). http://sites.tufts.edu/tuftsgetsgreen/2018/08/02/eco-ambassador-visit-to-casella-waste-management-materials-recovery-facility/
A brief description of how the employee educators are selected:
The Eco-Ambassador program is open to all Tufts employees (both staff and faculty). The Office of Sustainability does their best to get the word out about upcoming trainings so that everyone who wants to become an Eco-Ambassador can easily do so.
A brief description of the formal training that the employee educators receive to prepare them to conduct peer outreach:
In its original format (FY09-FY12), the Eco-Ambassador program was held throughout the academic year, with participants attending one meeting each month that covered a different sustainability-related topic. A “condensed" format of the program, where participants attend two 4-hour workshops, was launched in 2012 and that format has been the most used ever since. During the workshops, participants receive training on the history of sustainability at Tufts, behavior change and community-based social marketing, climate change, energy, water, waste and recycling, transportation, and purchasing. Upon attending 8 full-year workshops or 2 condensed workshops, participants are considered full-fledged Eco-Ambassadors.
A brief description of the financial and/or administrative support the institution provides to the program (e.g. annual budget and/or paid faculty/staff coordination):
The Eco-Ambassadors program is organized and funded by the Office of Sustainability and overseen by the full-time Education and Outreach Program Administrator. Eco-Ambassadors who complete the program are eligible to receive grants from the Office of Sustainability to implement "green" projects in their offices. These grants have recently funded the following examples: dishware for an office that was using disposables, a water bottle refilling station instead of a Poland Springs jug, and compostable materials for a zero-waste event. http://sites.tufts.edu/tuftsgetsgreen/?s=grant
If reporting employees served by additional peer-to-peer programs, provide:
2nd Program
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Number of employees served (i.e. directly targeted) by the program (headcount) (2nd program):
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A brief description of the program, including examples of peer-to-peer outreach activities (2nd program):
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A brief description of how the employee educators are selected (2nd program):
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A brief description of the formal training that the employee educators receive to prepare them to conduct peer outreach (2nd program):
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A brief description of the financial and/or administrative support the institution provides to the program (e.g. annual budget and/or paid faculty/staff coordination) (2nd program):
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Additional Programs
We have a successful Green Office Certification program: https://sustainability.tufts.edu/sustainability-at-tufts/programs/green-office-certification/. 12 offices were certified or re-certified in 2018 and 28 offices in total hold certifications.
Optional Fields
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The website URL where information about the programs or initiatives is available:
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.