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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.

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SCECon Graphic

SCECon 21: Our World, Our Time, Our Voices

  • University of California, Berkeley (CA)

SCECon 2021: Our World, Our Time, Our Voices aims to recenter the environmental narrative around environmental justice by giving intentional space for students to learn about unique and intersectional environmental …

SDG Undergraduate Research Group

  • University of California, Berkeley (CA)

Launched Fall 2020, SURG (SDG Undergraduate Research Group) is an undergraduate research group affiliated with the UC Berkeley Office of Sustainability and guided by the UN Sustainable Development Goals. We …

Inclusive Sustainability: Collaborative Approaches through UC Santa Cruz’s People of Color Sustainability Collective

  • University of California, Santa Cruz (CA)

The People of Color Sustainability Collective (PoCSC) works to make the University of California Santa Cruz (UCSC) a leader in sustainability and environmental justice, in recognition of our changing demographics …

Minnesota Student Sustainability Leadership Network

  • St. Catherine University (MN)
  • University of St. Thomas (MN)

In the middle of the COVID-19 pandemic, students created theMinnesota Student Sustainability Leadership Network to bring together student leaders involved in sustainability from colleges and universities across the state of …

California State University System-wide Climate Justice and Intersectional Sustainability Speaker Series

  • California Polytechnic State University (CA)
  • California State University, Channel Islands (CA)
  • California State University, East Bay (CA)
  • California State University, Chancellor's Office (CA)
  • California State University, Chico (CA)
  • California State University, Fullerton (CA)
  • California State University, Long Beach (CA)
  • California State University, Los Angeles (CA)
  • California State University, Northridge (CA)
  • California State University, Sacramento (CA)
  • California State University, San Marcos (CA)
  • California State University, Stanislaus (CA)
  • Cal Poly Humboldt (CA)
  • San Diego State University (CA)

During the 2020-21 academic year, Sustainability Officers from across the 23-campus California State University (CSU) system, the largest public university system in the U.S., joined forces to coordinate a series …

WMGIC Presentation

Global Innovation Challenge (WMGIC)

  • College of William & Mary (VA)

WMGIC is the premier intercollegiate hack-a-thon style international and sustainable development case competition aimed at encouraging interdisciplinary collaboration to create innovative solutions to current global issues.

President's Sustainability Research Fellowship Cohort

International Climate Engagement

  • Swarthmore College (PA)

Project Name: International Climate Engagement Name: Alfi Muhamad Project Mentor: Carr Everbach Faculty Advisor: Carol Nackenoff Project board members: Joy Charlton, Melissa Tier, Kyle Richmond-Crosset, Elizabeth Drake, Clare Hyre, …

Summer 2019 Student Researchers

New Ways to Love Trees

  • Hope College (MI)

As urbanization rapidly replaces natural forest cover, urban forests are becoming increasingly important because of the ecosystem services they provide. Through the development of the TreeSap app and corresponding educational …

MaryPIRG Student Climate Action Coalition (MSCAC)

  • University of Maryland, College Park (MD)

The FUTURE Act is a piece of legislation which aims to commit all of Maryland’s Public Universities to carbon neutrality by 2035 or sooner. The legislation was introduced by Del …

President's Sustainability Research Fellowship 20-21: ChesterSemesters

  • Swarthmore College (PA)

The 2020-2021 President's Sustainability Research Fellowship ChesterSemester project was conducted by Ananya Bhattacharya '21 over the 2020-2021 Academic Year. The purpose of the project was to support the the recently …

EDJI Logo

Equity, Diversity, Justice, Inclusion Task Force, Catawba College

  • Catawba College (NC)

The Equity, Diversity, Justice, and Inclusion (EDJI) Task Force at Catawba College aims to build a campus community where all members thrive by working to cultivate critical conversations and practices …

Painting the shed

The People’s Fridge- A Community Fridge to Reduce Food Insecurity and Food Waste

  • University of California, Merced (CA)

The People’s Fridge is a community fridge in Merced, California at a local community garden which also holds a free food distribution every Saturday called the Pop-Up People’s Pantry. The …

President's Sustainability Research Fellowship Cohort

Indigenous Interconnections

  • Swarthmore College (PA)

Project Name: Indigenous Interconnections Student Name: Daniel Torres Balauro Project Mentors: Aurora Winslade and Carr Everbach Project Board Members: Aurora Winslade, Director of Sustainability, Office of Sustainability Carr Everbach, Professor …

Logo

Project Reach, Reclaim, Revive

  • Seneca Polytechnic (ON)

Guided by academic advisors and business experts, student leaders of Enactus Canada create and implement community empowerment projects and business ventures in their communities. This experiential learning platform helps students …

University Students Harvesting the Benefits of a Garden Laboratory

  • Mount Saint Vincent University (NS)

Community gardens (CG) are areas of land where individuals or groups grow food in single or shared plots, typically in an urban setting, providing fresh produce, urban greening, and opportunities …

Educating for transitions: ecovillages as transdisciplinary sustainability “classrooms”

  • University of Brasilia

The purpose of this paper is to discuss the pedagogical tools that can enhance transdisciplinarity in higher education and stimulate sustainability transitions, based on the case study of a partnership …

Effective Community-Academic Partnerships on Climate Change Adaption and Mitigation: Results of a European Delphi Study

  • University of Vechta

The effects of anthropogenic climate change have become increasingly prevalent. There is thus a need both to prevent climate change or soften its effects (mitigation) and to address and deal …

Creating Transdisciplinary Teaching Spaces. Cooperation of Universities and Non-University Partners to Design Higher Education for Regional Sustainable Transition

  • United Nations University
  • Universität Duisburg-Essen
  • Eberhard Karls Universität Tübingen

Teaching formats involving non-university partners are increasingly gaining importance to deliver key competencies needed in higher education for sustainable development. Such teaching formats may also create new transdisciplinary spaces that …

The research-policy relationship in environmental and sustainability education

  • University of Saskatchewan (SK)
  • Monash University (VIC)

Within the field of environmental and sustainability education (ESE), the interaction between ESE research and ESE policy has received limited attention. Beyond ESE, however, the research-policy relationship has become an …

Who Is Community Engagement For?: The Endless Loop of Democratic Transparency

  • Lafayette College (PA)

This article approaches college and university community engagement as a publicity practice responding to complex pressures in the U.S. higher education field. Democracy initiatives in American academia encompass a range …

City-University Partnerships in Implementing the UN Sustainable Development Goals at a Local Level

  • University of British Columbia (BC)

The 2030 Agenda for Sustainable Development is regarded as a triumph of multilateralism. The Agenda lays out 17 Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs) that aim to provide a shared blueprint for …

Can public universities play a role in fostering seed sovereignty?

  • University of British Columbia (BC)
  • University of Toronto (ON)

Across Canada and the United States, public universities were founded with a mission to contribute to broad societal well-being. Yet, the capacity of public research institutions to develop and disseminate …

Conference spaces as emotional sites for becoming campus sustainability leaders

  • University of Vermont (VT)

This paper applies a feminist political ecology approach to ask: How do sustainability in higher education (SHE) conference events co-produce the subjectivities and expertise of campus sustainability professionals (CSPs) emotionally? …

Mobilizing Youth for the SDGs: Tools for creating a Sustainable Development Goals Alliance on your campus

  • University of British Columbia (BC)
  • University of Calgary (AB)
  • University of Waterloo (ON)
  • Université Laval (QC)

Mobilizing Youth for the Sustainable Development Goals is a toolkit created by youth, for youth, and is intended to support post-secondary students who are interested in creating campus spaces for …

Ecological Restoration of Parking Lot O looking south.

Ecological Restoration on BCIT Burnaby Campus

  • British Columbia Institute of Technology (BC)

The ecological restoration of Parking Lot O on the BCIT Burnaby campus is well under way. What was a gravel parking lot is being transformed into a landscaped natural area …

  • Posted April 30, 2021
  • Photographs
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Buea University CVE100 Students celebrating World Earth Day 2021

CVE 100 students, University of Buea: Cerebration of World Earth Day 2021

  • University of Buea

CVE100 Students University of Buea, Cameroon. Campus clean up campaign activities for celebrating World Earth Day - 22nd April 2021 Supervision and coordination, Dr. Frida Besong, University of Buea.

  • Posted April 30, 2021
  • Photographs
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JMU Sustainable Development Goals Dialogues

JMU Sustainable Development Goals Dialogues

  • James Madison University (VA)

As a first step toward JMU's commitment to the University Global Coalition, on March 29, 2021, for 90 minutes, 29 faculty members, 16 students, and 3 community partners participated in …

  • Posted April 29, 2021
  • Photographs
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Climate change advocacy: exploring links between student empowerment and civic engagement

  • Illinois State University (IL)
  • Northern State University (SD)

This study identified the attitudes and behaviors of college students regarding their advocacy for climate change adaptation and mitigation. Specifically, perceptions of climate change were assessed and advocacy activities were …

  • Posted April 23, 2021
  • Publications
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Climate & Sustainability Ambassador with saplings.

Saplings for Earth Day

  • Ohio University (OH)

For the second consecutive year Ohio University's Office of Sustainability has partnered with the local Arbor Day Foundation chapter to collect and test acorns in the fall from a red …

  • Posted April 23, 2021
  • Photographs
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A group photo of DIU Rover Scout Group worked Earth Day initiative

DIU, Bangladesh observed Earth Day 2021 with an initiative of Tree Plantation

  • Daffodil International University (Dhaka)

Air Rover Scout Group of Daffodil International University (DIU), Bangladesh observed Earth Day 2021 with an initiative of tree plantation on campus as well as the nearby community. The motto …

  • Posted April 23, 2021
  • Photographs
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Universities’ Reporting on SDGs: Using THE Impact Rankings to Model and Measure Their Contribution to Sustainability

  • Universitat Politècnica de València (Valencia)
  • Polytechnic University of Milan
  • Universitat de València

Higher education institutions (HEIs) have voiced growing concerns about sustainability issues since Agenda 2030 was approved, but this is not enough for societal stakeholders seeking and delivering innovation and excellence. …

  • Posted April 23, 2021
  • Publications
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Designing an extension Climate Stewards volunteer program: incorporating sense of community, social practice, and self-efficacy theories

  • Cornell University (NY)

This paper examines the feasibility of developing a new Master Volunteer training program to help communities adapt to and mitigate the impacts of climate change. Traditional models of volunteer training …

  • Posted April 22, 2021
  • Publications
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Measuring environmental website communications in Latin American universities: multimodal and ecolinguistic benchmarking

  • Universidad De Alcalá

This paper aims to explore the current state of website environmental communications in Latin American universities through a benchmarking operational tool. The study considers how these universities communicate their environmental …

  • Posted April 22, 2021
  • Publications
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Long-Term Impact of Study Abroad on Sustainability-Related Attitudes and Behaviors

  • University of Florida (FL)
  • University of Tennessee at Knoxville (TN)

Using study abroad as a vehicle for sustainable education is a growing trend. However, an examination of the impact of study abroad on participants’ sustainability-related attitudes and behaviors years after …

  • Posted April 22, 2021
  • Publications
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North Texas Food Policy Alliance

  • University of Texas at Arlington (TX)

What are Food Policy Councils/Alliances? The first Food Policy Council started 30 years ago in the city of Knoxville. In the last decade Food Policy Councils (also called food system …

  • Posted April 21, 2021
  • Case Studies
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Community-based climate action planning as an act of advocacy: a case study of liberal arts education in a rural community

  • Colgate University (NY)

The current lack of comprehensive federal climate policy highlights the critical need for effective subnational climate policy and programs. We describe our efforts to create and cultivate a community-based multi-stakeholder …

  • Posted April 8, 2021
  • Publications
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Academic Research on the 2030 Agenda: Challenges of a Transdisciplinary Field of Study

  • Loyola Universida Andalucía

In 2015, the United Nations General Assembly formally adopted the 2030 Agenda for Sustainable Development, with the scope to shift the world on to a resilient path focused on promoting …

  • Posted April 8, 2021
  • Publications
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Defining social change as social action: higher education’s role in addressing social change

  • University of Greenwich

Social issues that need addressing have never been in short supply and, despite regular calls for action, some of them recur with unfortunate regularity. Higher education institutions have a key …

  • Posted April 8, 2021
  • Publications
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Implementing social projects with undergraduate students: an analysis of essential characteristics

  • Université de Sherbrooke (QC)
  • University of Campinas
  • Hamburg University of Applied Sciences
  • University of Passo Fundo
  • Universidade Federal Fluminense

This study aims to analyse the essential characteristics for the success of social projects developed with undergraduate students of higher education institutions (HEIs).

  • Posted April 8, 2021
  • Publications
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Community needs and interests in university–community partnerships for sustainable development

  • University of Northern British Columbia (BC)

This paper aims to examine the broad concept of university–community partnerships as it applies to creating sustainability initiatives. The benefits of university–community partnerships are increasingly recognized, and this paper offers …

  • Posted April 8, 2021
  • Publications
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Infusing the UN Sustainable Development Goals into a global learning initiative

  • Pennsylvania State University (PA)
  • University of North Texas (TX)
  • University of South Florida (FL)

The Global Citizens Project (GCP) is a university-wide global learning initiative at the University of South Florida, aimed at enhancing undergraduate students’ global competencies through curricular and co-curricular experiences. The …

  • Posted April 8, 2021
  • Publications
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Sustainability practices at private universities: a state-of-the-art assessment

  • College of Charleston (SC)
  • Universidade Federal de Vicosa
  • University of Worcester
  • Hamburg University of Applied Sciences
  • University of Passo Fundo
  • Universidade NOVA de Lisboa
  • University of Minho
  • Pompeu Fabra University
  • University of A Coruña (a Coruña)

Private universities also play a key role in the sustainability debate. But despite their importance, there a shortage of research on how sustainability is being implemented at private universities. Based …

  • Posted April 8, 2021
  • Publications
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‘Challenge to the South’ Revisited: A Case Study Worldwide of Regional Centres of Expertise (RCEs) on Education for Sustainable Development (ESD)

  • Yorkville University (NB)

Three decades ago Julius Nyerere (1990) wrote Challenge to the South. In response to the legacy of colonialism, Nyerere challenged the nations of the Global South to advance their development …

  • Posted April 8, 2021
  • Publications
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Advancing the UN Sustainable Development Goals through Education Abroad

  • The Forum on Education Abroad (RI)

These guidelines serve to direct the education abroad sector toward social, economic, and environmental sustainability by connecting the Standards of Good Practice for Education Abroad and the United Nations Sustainable …

Webinar: Greenspace Town Halls and Make-A-Thon

  • University of Central Florida (FL)
  • AASHE (MA)

This event is part of the AASHE Award Winner Webinar Series, featuring a presentation of the Student Sustainability Leadership Award winning project.

This webinar will outline the Greenspace Sustainability Design …

  • Posted March 25, 2021
  • Videos & Webinars
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Green Talks 2019 Presenters

Annual Green Talks Symposium

  • University of California, San Diego (CA)

Green Talks is a TED-style talk symposium specifically geared towards environmental awareness. This annual event aims to engage and educate the UC San Diego student body and broader community about …

  • Posted March 8, 2021
  • Case Studies
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Engage in Climate Solutions: Help Get the Climate Policies We all Need

  • AASHE (MA)
  • Higher Education Associations Sustainability Consortium (HEASC) (PA)

Do your students and staff want to do something more for climate change that creates a large positive impact? The Beyond Doom and Gloom: Climate Solutions initiative is collaborating with …

  • Posted Feb. 24, 2021
  • Videos & Webinars
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Strengthening local economy – an example of higher education institutions’ engagement in “co-creation for sustainability”

  • Hochschule Niederrhein, University of Applied Sciences

Major societal challenges like energy efficiency, climate change and resource scarcity trigger and influence continuous change processes worldwide, nationwide, but also on all regional levels. They force regions to think …

  • Posted Feb. 19, 2021
  • Publications
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Democracy and the (missing) politics in environmental education

  • Oberlin College (OH)

Our work as educators does not match the scope, scale, and urgency of the challenges we presently face and that our descendants will confront through the centuries of the “long …

  • Posted Feb. 19, 2021
  • Publications
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Higher education for times of climate crisis – critical awareness, purpose and community

  • The University of Newcastle (NSW)

Climate change impacts cascade across scales and sectors, and present specific threats to education institutions and systems, including reduced educational access, participation and attainment by students. In this paper, we …

  • Posted Feb. 19, 2021
  • Publications
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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

EN 11: Inter-campus Collaboration

EN 12: Continuing Education

EN 13: Community Service

EN 14: Participation in Public Policy

EN 15: Trademark Licensing

Additional analysis on scores and quantitative fields can be conducted using the STARS Benchmarking Tool.

Public Engagement Partners

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