Public Engagement
Introduction
Engagement in community problem-solving is fundamental to sustainability. By engaging with community members and organizations in the governmental, non-profit and for-profit sectors, institutions can help solve sustainability challenges. Community engagement can help students develop leadership skills while deepening their understandings of practical, real-world problems and the process of creating solutions.
Featured Resources
New Resources
A University-Community Research Collaboration to Promote Sustainable Agriculture for Food Security
- University of North Carolina, Asheville (NC)
Many counties of Western North Carolina have high levels of food insecurity that may be addressed by training communities to grow, prepare, and preserve their own food. Through the McCullough ...
- Posted Nov. 5, 2018
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Blending Sustainability & Community Engagement in STEM: Models from 4 Diverse Universities
- Georgia Institute of Technology (GA)
- Stony Brook University (NY)
- Virginia Tech (VA)
- Villanova University (PA)
From diverse institutional perspectives, this interactive session explores community engagement through course-based sustainability projects done in collaboration with community partners. We will outline important opportunities and challenges of this work ...
- Posted Nov. 5, 2018
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What Does a Tree Have to Do with Interior Design?
- University of Kentucky (KY)
On the McConnell Springs site of Lexington, Kentucky, there exists an historically significant tree - one of only a few old Bur Oaks that remain since the early days of settlement ...
- Posted Nov. 5, 2018
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Repairing our Foodshed
- Wells College (NY)
Wells College has acted to address gaps within its local foodshed. Responding to area 'food desert' conditions, the college initiated the Aurora Farmers Market to provide community residents access to ...
- Posted Nov. 5, 2018
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Educating, Engaging and Empowering Sustainable Businesses Through a Smart Business Challenge
- Iowa State University (IA)
A vital facet in ensuring a sustainable community is sustainable awareness and commitment of its businesses. As part of the Town Gown Collaboration with the Iowa State University Office of ...
- Posted Nov. 5, 2018
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Using the UN SDGs to frame community resilience assessment and planning for students and partners
- Allegheny College (PA)
After Allegheny signed Second Nature's Resilience Commitment (Climate Commitment signed in 2007), the sustainability coordinator cultivated collaborative partnerships in the community and explored ways to support existing work while ...
- Posted Nov. 5, 2018
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@IUSBees Raising Awareness to Rise to the Challenge
- Indiana University Bloomington (IN)
Student Summit Case Study: @IUSBees raising awareness to rise to the Challenge. How can higher education institutions align their teaching and research activities around the SDGs?Align them in the ...
- Posted Nov. 5, 2018
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Role of Higher Education Institutions in Reducing Poverty by Promoting Sustainable Tourism
- Dallas College (TX)
All college and university campuses are imbedded in a local community. All communities have the potential to offer ecotourism opportunities to residents and visitors. Ecotourism/sustainable toursim is now defined ...
- Posted Nov. 5, 2018
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Connecting Communities to Data That Matter - Linkages Through SDGs
- Georgia Institute of Technology (GA)
In recent years, a rising number of innovative firms and entrepreneurs have intentionally coalesced around university centers to bring invention plus implementation together. These universities known as anchor institutions typically ...
- Posted Nov. 5, 2018
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Universities as Catalysts for Transformative Sustainable Change
- Agnes Scott College (GA)
- Georgia Institute of Technology (GA)
- Emory University (GA)
- University of Georgia (GA)
- Portland Community College (OR)
- Spelman College (GA)
This session will explore how universities can serve as anchor institutions in their communities, advancing their own goals and regional sustainability at the same time, through education about and implementation ...
- Posted Nov. 5, 2018
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Social Marketing/Behavior Change Practitioner Meetup
- University of Georgia (GA)
- Busch Systems (ON)
Are you interested in using marketing as a behavior change agent? Me too! Let's get together for a focused discussion about goals, challenges, and successes in your behavior change ...
- Posted Nov. 5, 2018
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Food Conscious Campus: Urban Innovations Towards Zero Hunger
- MacEwan University (AB)
Innovative technologies like Flow Hives, Tower Gardens, and Urban Cultivators engage the campus community with local food options and opportunities for food security downtown. Through a short documentary and discussion ...
- Posted Nov. 5, 2018
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Weatherizing Together: Finding Effective Community Partnerships
- Furman University (SC)
Is your school planning on or already implementing a home weatherization program? Have you found community partners for your program? Furman University's home weatherization program, the Community Conservation Corps ...
- Posted Nov. 5, 2018
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Mapping our Participation in the United Nations Global Compact: Storytelling and Sustainability
- State University of New York at Geneseo (NY)
As a participant of the U.N. Global Compact, the State University College of New York at Geneseo uses the U.N. Sustainable Development Goals as a framework to talk ...
- Posted Nov. 5, 2018
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Community Impacts Through Energy-Efficient Housing Education
- Pennsylvania State University (PA)
The Energy Efficient Housing Research Group (EEHR), an outreach arm of the Hamer Center for Community Design, is a conduit between high-performance housing research and housing stakeholders. EEHR connects multidisciplinary ...
- Posted Nov. 5, 2018
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Co-Designing a Sustainable, Native American Cultural Center with the Sisseton-Wahpeton Oyate
- University of Virginia (VA)
Public engagement is a crucial way for higher education institutions to align their teaching and research activities around the Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs). This case study examines how an interdisciplinary ...
- Posted Nov. 5, 2018
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How Higher Ed Helps Enact Tomorrow's Climate Change Legislation, Today!
- New York University (NY)
New York City is poised to enact the world's most sweeping climate change legislation, based on the innovation, validation, and support of higher education. How did NYU lead in ...
- Posted Nov. 5, 2018
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Urban Forestry and Community Engagement - the Chemis-tree of Successful Partnerships
- Virginia Commonwealth University (VA)
Virginia Commonwealth University (VCU) is an urban research university located in downtown Richmond, Virginia. With greenhouse gas mitigation goals looming, VCU established the VCU Urban Forestry Collaborative (VUFC) - a unique ...
- Posted Nov. 5, 2018
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Climate Lab: Taking the Gloom out of the Doom
- University of California, Office of the President (CA)
Let's face it - thinking about climate change and sustainability - and what to do about these pressing issues - can be downright depressing. People don't want to hear about starving ...
- Posted Nov. 5, 2018
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UC3: The Research University's Role in Place-Based, Cross-Sector Climate Action
- University of California, Office of the President (CA)
- University of Colorado Boulder (CO)
- Second Nature (MA)
The University Climate Change Coalition, or UC3, is a coalition of 13 leading North American research universities that are prototyping a collaborative model designed to help local communities achieve their ...
- Posted Nov. 5, 2018
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Learning from our Future: Engaging Youth in Climate Justice
- University at Buffalo (NY)
How do we build a truly inclusive climate justice movement that values every voice and experience? Engage young people. They have a lot to say, and are eager to say ...
- Posted Nov. 5, 2018
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Community Outreach on Steroids: Impacting People in 8 Counties While Recruiting Great Students
- Slippery Rock University (PA)
In June 2017, Slippery Rock University's Office of Sustainability launched the 'Healthy Planet, Healthy People Environmental Summer Camp and Community Project Incubator'. The focus of this program was to ...
- Posted Nov. 5, 2018
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Climate Memes: Undergraduates Making Climate Data Go Viral
- University of California, Irvine (CA)
On Earth Day 2017, Climatepedia boothed in Pershing Square at the March for Science-Los Angeles. Students from the University of California, Irvine branch of the organization displayed their signs at ...
- Posted Nov. 5, 2018
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All We Need is Political Will: Empowering Students on Civic Engagement on Climate Change
- Juniata College (PA)
- University of Pittsburgh (PA)
- U.S. Partnership for Education for Sustainable Development
- Citizens' Climate Lobby (CA)
At this critical time in our nation's history, the need to transition to a clean energy economy and a just and equitable society is more urgent than ever. Young ...
- Posted Nov. 5, 2018
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Moving Toward Climate Justice Through Divestment and Reinvestment
- Better Future Project (MA)
All colleges have an endowment that they use to invest in a broad range of industries. Divestment is a powerful tactic where institutions can use their political and financial power ...
- Posted Nov. 5, 2018
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Native Food Garden in the Sonoran Desert
- University of Arizona (AZ)
Since July 2017, I began volunteering at The Desert Research Learning Center (DLRC). The DRLC is owned by the National Park Service and is located adjacent to the east district ...
- Posted Nov. 5, 2018
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Pollinator Protection: Save the Monarch Butterfly!
- Central Community College (NE)
This poster will describe the process Central Community College uses to engage students in the support of pollinators, particularly the Monarch butterfly. Furthermore, basic information regarding Monarch butterfly behavior and ...
- Posted Nov. 5, 2018
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Food Recovery and Partnership Models
- University of Notre Dame (IN)
- University of Utah (UT)
- Sodexo USA (MD)
- 412 Food Rescue (PA)
The University of Utah is collaborating to address seven of the United Nation's Sustainable Development Goals on on-campus, in local communities, as well as throughout the state. While working ...
- Posted Nov. 5, 2018
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Building a Bigger Table: Engaging Communities on Food Security
- College of Charleston (SC)
On our campus, and in the surrounding community, there appears to be a growing urge for increased engagement and 'silo-busting.' One of the largest focal points for this is food ...
- Posted Nov. 5, 2018
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Agrivoltaic Arrays: Cultivating the Future of Renewable Energy
- University of Arizona (AZ)
Agrivoltaics' combines the terms, 'agriculture' and 'photovoltaics' to create a symbiotic relationship between food and renewable energy. The vast majority of solar energy generated comes from solar farms. However, as ...
- Posted Nov. 5, 2018
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Scaling UP Renewable Energy Beyond Campus
- Cornell University (NY)
- State University of New York at Cortland (NY)
The Paris Agreement (at the moment) represents civilizations best path forward for global action and accountability of our collective reduction in harmful greenhouse gas emissions. What happens when a significant ...
- Posted Nov. 5, 2018
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Where civil rights fit into sustainability: an environmental justice workshop
- Ithaca College (NY)
An in-depth exploration of how civil rights and environmental justice fit into the global sustainability framework, this presentation will utilize case studies from across the US to exemplify how environmental ...
- Posted Nov. 5, 2018
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Think Outside: Educating about Conservation and Race in the Great Outdoors
- Messiah University (PA)
- Pennsylvania Department of Conservation and Natural Resources (PA)
We need multi-lateral participation to achieve the Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs) outlined by the UN; however, the narrative of environmental protection, and the subsequent sustainability movement, is dominated by a ...
- Posted Nov. 5, 2018
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Engaging Students and Low-Income Community Members: Successes in Conservation and Social Equity
- University of Colorado Boulder (CO)
The FLOWS program (Foundation for Leaders Organizing for Water and Sustainability), is made up of diverse CU Boulder Environmental Center student staff and historically marginalized community members that team up ...
- Posted Nov. 5, 2018
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Sustainability Best Practices to Contain the Uncontainable: Lessons Learned From UVA & August 11/12
- University of Virginia (VA)
UVA's responses to the white supremacist rallies at UVA and Charlottesville during the summer of 2017 can serve as an example to other institutions as white supremacy and violence ...
- Posted Nov. 5, 2018
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Anti-Oppressive Youth Facilitation
- Power Shift Network (DC)
From organizing campaigns to coordinating community engagement events. From engaging in political advocacy efforts to training with youth. Wherever your youth engagement falls, there are best practices for working with ...
- Posted Nov. 5, 2018
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Crowdcoaching: A Workshop About Workshops
- Tufts University (MA)
- GreenerU (MA)
Undertaking sustainable practices at colleges and universities requires the convergence of people, resources, and knowledge. Sharing experiences with colleagues at other campuses is an efficient conduit for successful implementation. Crowdcoaching ...
- Posted Nov. 5, 2018
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Sustainability Competencies, SDGs & Metacognition: Implementation and Assessment
- City University of New York, John Jay College of Criminal Justice (NY)
- Leuphana University of Lüneburg
Core learning sustainability competencies have been identified and are guiding course design: system thinking, future/temporal thinking, ethical literacy (values), interpersonal literacy (communication & collaboration), strategic thinking (action), and creativity ...
- Posted Nov. 5, 2018
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Enhancing Student Learning and Promoting Sustainability Through Experiential Learning
- New York University (NY)
- University of Dayton (OH)
- Worcester Polytechnic Institute (MA)
This session includes experiential learning programs in three academic institutions.The programs illustrate how higher education institutions can foster public-private-community partnerships to achieve the SDGs and inform approaches to SDG ...
- Posted Nov. 5, 2018
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ESRAP: Building Partnerships Across the Globe to Elevate Sustainability Focused Curriculum & Research
- Southern New Hampshire University (NH)
Educators for Socially Responsible Apparel Practices (ESRAP) is a non-profit that engages and collaborates across the globe to share news, best practices, review sustainability texts, and offer strong platform for ...
- Posted Nov. 5, 2018
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Nation's First Community-Based Culinary Medicine Garden and Sustainability Curriculum
- University of Utah (UT)
We have the nation's first Culinary Medicine (CM) course pairing community members and Health Sciences (HS) students together to research, design, and implement community-based CM curricula, the inclusion in ...
- Posted Nov. 5, 2018
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Backcasting to the Future: SDGs and Graduate Research
- Indiana University South Bend (IN)
Preparing sustainability graduate students for the future requires a balance of real-world work and project applications as well as research and publishing experiences and opportunities. It means guiding the challenging ...
- Posted Nov. 5, 2018
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Integration of the SDG's as a Targeted Educational Alternative...A Story of Successful Collaboration
- University of Texas Rio Grande Valley (TX)
Join us as we share a Story of Success: UTRGV and Buell Central High School's Transformative integration of SDG's to engage and motivate our most vulnerable and marginalized ...
- Posted Nov. 5, 2018
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Education as the Engine for the Global Goals
- Portland Community College (OR)
In 2016, 750 experts from around the world came together in Ahmedabad, India, to drill down into each of the Sustainable Development Goals (SDG), or Global Goals, to identify how ...
- Posted Nov. 5, 2018
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Social Environmental Case Study on Mining, Wild Rice and Water Protection in Minnesota
- University of Minnesota, Twin Cities (MN)
This session involves participants in a social environmental synthesis case study, using methods taught by the National Social Environmental Synthesis Center (sesync.org) in Maryland, where this case was developed ...
- Posted Nov. 5, 2018
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Applied Learning: Interventions for Sustainability Impacts
- Arizona State University (AZ)
- Portland State University (OR)
- Princeton University (NJ)
- University of Calgary (AB)
Applied learning (AL) for sustainability is an umbrella term and encompasses student engagement activities (e.g., internships, courses, research practicums) that deliver exceptional student experiences and a positive outcome for ...
- Posted Nov. 5, 2018
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Key Competencies in Sustainability: Overview and Next Steps
- Arizona State University (AZ)
- Chatham University (PA)
- Northern Arizona University (AZ)
- Sustainability Curriculum Consortium (MD)
The Panel-discussion is part of a nationwide process to solicit feedback on an initiative with the National Council for Science and the Environment (NCSE). The goal of the initiative is ...
- Posted Nov. 5, 2018
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Experience The SDGs Abroad: Reimagine Your Curriculum with The GREEN Program
- University of Pittsburgh (PA)
The GREEN Program (TGP) is an experiential education and workforce development program for young leaders in sustainable development. Created for students, by students, TGP has introduced a new model for ...
- Posted Nov. 5, 2018
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Pursuing the SDGs in Education Abroad: Tools, Techniques, and Assessment Strategies
- U.S. Partnership for Education for Sustainable Development
- The Education Abroad Network (IL)
Well-designed education abroad programs expose students to the many ways other cultures prioritize and pursue the UN SDG's. Foreign approaches to sustainability, biodiversity, and social justice reveal to students ...
- Posted Nov. 5, 2018
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Uniting Human Rights and Sustainability Across the University
- University of Dayton (OH)
The United Nations Agenda 2030 and Sustainable Development Goals (SDG) are a powerful framework for alleviating human suffering and achieving social and environmental justice. However, making progress on the the ...
- Posted Nov. 5, 2018
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This tab provides access to data collected through AASHE’s Sustainability Tracking, Assessment & Rating System™ (STARS). STARS is a transparent, self-reporting framework for colleges and universities to measure their sustainability performance. STARS enables meaningful comparisons over time and across institutions using a common set of measurements developed with broad participation from the campus sustainability community.
All responses reference content from reports under the latest version of STARS, version 2.2. AASHE membership and log-in is required.
EN 10: Community Partnerships
- Description of a formal community partnership to advance sustainability (first partnership)
- Description of a formal community partnership to advance sustainability (second partnership)
- Description of a formal community partnership to advance sustainability (third partnership)
- Website URL - Community partnerships to advance sustainability
EN 11: Inter-campus Collaboration
- The national or international sustainability network(s)
- The regional, state/provincial or local sustainability network(s)
- Description of sustainability conference(s) and presentation(s)
- Description of sustainability resource center or awards program and submission(s)
- Description of sustainability board or committee appointment(s)
- Description of sustainability-related mentoring relationship and activities
- Description of sustainability-related peer review activities
- Website URL - Sustainability-related inter-campus collaborations
EN 12: Continuing Education
- Percentage of continuing education courses that are sustainability course offerings
- Inventory of continuing education sustainability course offerings (upload)
- Inventory of continuing education sustainability course offerings (description)
- Description of sustainability-related continuing education certificate program(s)
- Website URL - Continuing education courses and programs in sustainability
EN 13: Community Service
- Percentage of students engaged in community service
- Number of annual community service hours contributed per student
- Description of program(s) to support employee volunteering
- Website URL- Community service programs
EN 14: Participation in Public Policy
- Description of sustainability public policy advocacy at the municipal/local level
- Description of sustainability public policy advocacy at the state/provincial/regional level
- Description of sustainability public policy advocacy at the national level
- Description of sustainability public policy advocacy at the international level
- Website URL - Sustainability advocacy efforts
EN 15: Trademark Licensing
- Description of the independent trademark monitoring and verification organization
- The labor rights code of conduct for licensees (upload)
- The labor rights code of conduct for licensees (description)
- Website URL - Trademark licensing initiatives
Additional analysis on scores and quantitative fields can be conducted using the STARS Benchmarking Tool.