| Overall Rating | Silver |
|---|---|
| Overall Score | 61.63 |
| Liaison | Leslie North |
| Submission Date | March 1, 2024 |
Western Kentucky University
EN-1: Student Educators Program
| Status | Score | Responsible Party |
|---|---|---|
|
2.79 / 4.00 |
Leslie
North Director of Sustainability Geography and Geology |
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indicates that no data was submitted for this field
Part 1. Percentage of students served by a peer-to-peer, sustainability educators program
16,495
Total number of students served by a peer-to-peer sustainability outreach and education program:
6,500
Percentage of students served by a peer-to-peer sustainability outreach and education program:
39.41
1st program
WKU Sustainability Ambassadors
A brief description of the student educators program (1st program):
Sustainability Ambassadors and student volunteers present to classes and student organizations about sustainability programs on campus, including those related to the community gardens. The group also hosts workshops and Community Work days during which ambassadors teach fellow students about best practices in sustainable earth care. Sustainability Ambassadors also conduct Green Tours (sustainability-focused educational tours of campus) to student groups. Ambassadors earn a scholarship for their service.
A brief description of the student educators program’s target audience (1st program):
Student volunteers with the Office of Sustainability directly train one another from semester-to-semester. All student ambassadors undergo a training program lead by the Office of Sustainability Director and Graduate Assistant. Educational materials (books, pamphlets, etc.) are also made available to students at the Office of Sustainability. Ambassadors also attend bi-weekly meetings with the staff of the Office of Sustainability and are expected to participate in other educational experiences as made available across campus.
Number of trained student educators (1st program):
6
Number of weeks the student educators program is active annually (1st program):
30
Average or expected number of hours worked weekly per trained student educator (1st program):
1
Total number of hours worked annually by trained student educators (1st program):
180
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
Greentoppers
A brief description of the student educators program (2nd program):
WKU GreenToppers is a student-led organization that aims to incorporate WKU students into sustainability. Students learn about environmental issues around campus, as well as the ones they will research themselves, through peer-to-peer interaction and teaching. Students complete projects and clean-up days on campus and in the community while gaining a greater appreciation for the natural environment.
A brief description of the student educators program’s target audience (2nd program):
WKU Greentoppers aim to introduce to and provide opportunities for WKU students to engage with sustainability. The Greentoppers do this through activities such as Sustainability Trivia, providing tips through social media, and monthly meetings focused on sustainability. The Greentoppers also do tabling to engage the WKU community at events such as the Ogden College of Science and Engineering Ice Cream Social and the WKU Earth Day Event. WKU Greentoppers also created partnerships with other student organizations to encourage sustainability practices such as a partnership with the WKU Spanish Club for sustainable Los Dias De Los Muertos crafts.
Number of trained student educators (2nd program):
20
Number of weeks the student educators program is active annually (2nd program):
32
Average or expected number of hours worked weekly per trained student educator (2nd program):
1.50
Total number of hours worked annually by trained student educators (2nd program):
960
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
SGA Campus Improvements and Sustainability Committee
A brief description of the student educators program (3rd program):
This is a subcommittee of the WKU Student Government Association. The committee is responsible for developing and supporting sustainability programs on campus, as well as offering educational opportunities for students on campus.
A brief description of the student educators program’s target audience (3rd program):
SGA's focus is the student body. With that, our committee's goal specifically is to make the campus a better place for students as well as the community and planet in any way we can. Last year we authored several bills that got new resources for students to utilize and raised awareness surrounding our committee through tabling at events.
SGA Campus Improvements and Sustainability Committee participates in events including the WKU Earth Day Event. The SGA Campus Improvements and Sustainability Committee has also sponsored or co-sponsored sustainability related bills including bills to add menstrual product dispensers to bathrooms across campus, funding to purchase menstrual cups, funding to create terrariums from recycled bottles, funding to the WKU Ecology Club for a pollinator garden, and resolution to support the installation of a new water bottle refilling station on campus.
The SGA Campus Improvements and Sustainability Committee is supported by the SGA main governing body and the Office of Sustainability.
SGA Campus Improvements and Sustainability Committee participates in events including the WKU Earth Day Event. The SGA Campus Improvements and Sustainability Committee has also sponsored or co-sponsored sustainability related bills including bills to add menstrual product dispensers to bathrooms across campus, funding to purchase menstrual cups, funding to create terrariums from recycled bottles, funding to the WKU Ecology Club for a pollinator garden, and resolution to support the installation of a new water bottle refilling station on campus.
The SGA Campus Improvements and Sustainability Committee is supported by the SGA main governing body and the Office of Sustainability.
Number of trained student educators (3rd program):
6
Number of weeks the student educators program is active annually (3rd program):
32
Average or expected number of hours worked weekly per trained student educator (3rd program):
1.25
Total number of hours worked annually by trained student educators (3rd program):
330
Website URL where information about the student educators program is available (3rd program):
Additional programs
RAs for Recycling trains RAs to educate residents on their floor about recycling and other sustainability related initiatives on campus. Throughout RecycleMania, RAs meet with their residents to promote RecycleMania and the accompanying recycling competition amongst residence halls, and they post educational material related to Recycling in the main lobby of their floor. Resident Assistants (R.A) are selected and employed by Housing & Residence Life, and all R.A.s go through training and participate in RecycleMania February through March. The Department of Facilities Management and Housing & Residence Life share financial responsibility for educational and promotional materials for RecycleMania.
The Jennings Creek Partnerships for Awareness and Resilience in the Creekwood Community project trains students to communicate about and consider sustainability within the context of a service project focused on Tornado Recovery and Education. This project required students to consider sustainability in the decisions they made as well as educate fellow students on the sustainability of the project and of decisions made in the project. These students educate each other within the classroom on sustainability related to the aspect of the project they were focusing on. The students educated fellow students through partnerships with student organizations and community organizations. Students also provided sustainability information related to the project through events such as the WKU Earth Day Event, Tree Planting Events, and Clean-up events.
The Jennings Creek Partnerships for Awareness and Resilience in the Creekwood Community project trains students to communicate about and consider sustainability within the context of a service project focused on Tornado Recovery and Education. This project required students to consider sustainability in the decisions they made as well as educate fellow students on the sustainability of the project and of decisions made in the project. These students educate each other within the classroom on sustainability related to the aspect of the project they were focusing on. The students educated fellow students through partnerships with student organizations and community organizations. Students also provided sustainability information related to the project through events such as the WKU Earth Day Event, Tree Planting Events, and Clean-up events.
Number of trained student educators (all other programs):
64
Number of weeks, on average, the student educators programs are active annually (all other programs):
36
Average or expected number of hours worked weekly per student educator (all other programs) :
3
Total number of hours worked annually by trained student educators (all other programs):
6,672
Part 2. Educator hours per student served by a peer-to-peer educator program
8,142
Hours worked annually by trained student sustainability educators per student served by a peer-to-peer program:
1.25
Optional Fields
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.