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.

2946 resources

USC Urban Trees Initiative

  • University of Southern California (CA)

The USC Urban Trees Initiative (USC Trees) brings together faculty, staff, and student researchers at the University of Southern California to help the City of Los Angeles and local nonprofits ...


Sustainable New Product Development for Ten Thousand Villages, a Fair-Trade Social Enterprise: Empowering Women and Economic Development through Problem-Based Service Learning

  • Florida State University (FL)

Abstract – Universities have an important role in advancing sustainable development by educating future professionals. As an effective approach to scaling sustainability education, the author implemented a problem-based service-learning (PBSL) project ...


US Society for Ecological Economics

  • United States Society for Ecological Economics (PA)

The United States Society for Ecological Economics (USSEE) provides a venue for intellectual exchange and collaboration on issues related to the theory, policy, and implementation of sustainability. The society consists ...

  • Posted May 31, 2023
  • Research Centers & Institutes
  • View more

UBC’s Sustainability Open Data: Research, Learning and Operations

  • University of British Columbia (BC)
  • AASHE (PA)

The Sustainability Hub – a central unit at UBC focused on collaboration – have created a new open data platform to share sustainability performance metrics, increase transparency, support teaching, learning, operations on ...

  • Posted May 25, 2023
  • Videos & Webinars
  • View more

Air Travel Offset Program

  • University of Pennsylvania (PA)

In July 2021, the University of Pennsylvania enacted a University-wide travel sustainability policy that created the Climate Impact Offset (CLIO) charge to pay for projects that offset the carbon impacts ...


Sustainability Week at USFQ

  • Universidad San Francisco de Quito (Pichincha)

In honor of Earth Day, Universidad San Francisco de Quito (USFQ) hosted the first Sustainability Week from April 17 to 21, with various activities carried out for the institution and ...


EcoArt Entertainment

  • Texas A&M University (TX)

Wearing upcycled costumes, Brooklyn based Artichoke Dance Company performs as part of Campus Earth Day 2023. Artichoke Dance are EcoArtists and Environmental Activists. They are known for performances paired with ...


EcoArt Entertainment

  • Texas A&M University (TX)

Wearing upcycled costumes, Brooklyn based Artichoke Dance Company performs as part of Campus Earth Day 2023. Artichoke Dance are EcoArtists and Environmental Activists. They are known for performances paired with ...


KAUST SDG Highlight Report 2021/2022

  • King Abdullah University of Science and Technology (Makkah)

The KAUST SDG Highlight Report 2021 & 2022 features major projects, programs, and initiatives that have been set up or have been continuously running at KAUST across three broad categories ...


Keep CUP the good work! Is sustainable consumption a promise or all talk?

  • Iowa State University (IA)
  • Starbucks (WA)

Plastic waste has now spread to every corner of the globe. To avoid wreaking additional havoc on our world, wholesale change is needed. Collaboration, creative rewards, forward-thinking businesses, and consumer ...


State of the Association

  • AASHE (PA)

This is AASHE's annual member meeting where you can hear from AASHE leadership on highlights of the year, plans for the future, and ask questions of the board and ...

  • Posted May 17, 2023
  • Conference Presentations
  • View more

Energy Equity (Climate Justice): Cultivating Community Engagement Pathways for University-Community Collaboration

  • GreenerU (MA)

University and community collaborative partnerships can have an important role in advancing climate justice. By collaborating with community leaders, the university can foster improved community relations and provide viable pathways ...

  • Posted May 17, 2023
  • Conference Presentations
  • View more

SDSN USA: A Network for Advancing the SDGs Through Collaboration

  • United Nations Sustainable Development Solutions Network (NY)

This networking meeting will be an opportunity for attendees interested in, researching, and/or implementing the Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs). The SDGs are a set of 17 goals to be ...

  • Posted May 17, 2023
  • Conference Presentations
  • View more

Keynote: April Anson

  • San Diego State University (CA)
  • University of Oregon (OR)

"Nature will heal when we heal the white supremacist vision of nature as an object to be extracted, resource to be mined, concept to racialize, sacrifice, make killable." Dr. April ...

  • Posted May 17, 2023
  • Conference Presentations
  • View more

Keynote: Kumi Naidoo

  • Thunderbird School of Global Management (AZ)
  • Mohammed VI Polytechnic University

"We need to go beyond the solo approach and work together and lend our voices across all sectors: environmental, human rights, health, education, etc. Only our collective voice will be ...

  • Posted May 17, 2023
  • Conference Presentations
  • View more

Keynote: Jessica Thomas

  • North Carolina State University (NC)
  • Santa Clara University (CA)

"I’ve had the opportunity to work in academia for about 15 years now, and I have never seen anything that really captures the imagination and inspires students like B ...

  • Posted May 17, 2023
  • Conference Presentations
  • View more

Keynote: Jason Hickel

  • University of Pittsburgh (PA)
  • Universitat Autònoma de Barcelona (Barcelona)

"Given the stakes of the crisis we face, we need to tell more honest, accurate stories about what’s happening to our planet and who is responsible for it." Dr ...

  • Posted May 17, 2023
  • Conference Presentations
  • View more

Keynote: Elizabeth Popp Berman

  • Bard College (NY)
  • University of Michigan (MI)

"When our political values align with those of economics, we should embrace the many useful tools it has to offer. But when they conflict, we must be willing to advocate ...

  • Posted May 17, 2023
  • Conference Presentations
  • View more

Lightning Talks: Public Outreach & Engagement

  • Grand Valley State University (MI)
  • University of Colorado Boulder (CO)
  • My Green Lab (CA)
  • University of Strathclyde

This session consists of 3 15-minute Lightning Talk sessions related to campus operations. The Lightning Talks are: Climate Neutral Districts - scalar city and region collaboration to drive climate action in ...

  • Posted May 17, 2023
  • Conference Presentations
  • View more

Weaving for Resilience: Indigenous Knowledge and Place-based Learning in Sustainability Education

  • University of Hawaii Kapiolani Community College (HI)

Sustainability education, post-Covid, stands at the crossroads of a decision: do we return to the way things were? Or do we do something different? As communities learn to build back ...

  • Posted May 17, 2023
  • Conference Presentations
  • View more

Organizing for a Sustainable Athletics Rating System

  • Texas A&M University (TX)
  • University of Colorado Boulder (CO)
  • University of Southern California (CA)
  • Honeycomb Strategies (CO)

In recent years, collegiate athletic programs have implemented a wide variety of sustainability initiatives. These initiatives include zero waste and carbon neutral games, fan outreach and education, LEED-certified stadiums and ...

  • Posted May 17, 2023
  • Conference Presentations
  • View more

Warming Hearts and Homes: Implementing Community Winterization Programs

  • Furman University (SC)
  • University at Albany (NY)
  • University of Maine (ME)
  • Williams College (MA)

Curious about starting a community winterization program at your school? Wondering how to coordinate all the logistics? Want to learn what the benefits could be for your school? Join Dr ...

  • Posted May 17, 2023
  • Conference Presentations
  • View more

Are Waste Audits a Waste of Time? An Introduction to Brand Audits

  • Post-Landfill Action Network (NH)

Have you heard of a brand audit? Learn from PLAN Campaign Director Young about the success of brand audits vs. their traditional counterpart, waste audits, in creating accountability for waste ...

  • Posted May 17, 2023
  • Conference Presentations
  • View more

Campus-Community Partnerships: Building Food Sovereignty and Fostering Collaboration

  • Lafayette College (PA)

This session will explore how Lafayette College has succeeded and failed at building campus-community partnerships to address food sovereignty with an opportunity for participants to explore their own campus-community engagement ...

  • Posted May 17, 2023
  • Conference Presentations
  • View more

Keynote: Tyson Yunkaporta

  • Deakin University
  • Australasian Campuses Towards Sustainability (ACTS) (Queensland)

"All humans evolved within complex land based cultures over deep time to develop a brain with a capacity for over 100 trillion neural connections of which we now only use ...

  • Posted May 17, 2023
  • Conference Presentations
  • View more

Keynote: Amali Tower

  • University of Miami (FL)
  • Climate Refugees (NY)

"We’ve got to approach climate displacement as a human security issue and not a border security issue." Amali Tower is a refugee and migration expert and the Founder and ...

  • Posted May 17, 2023
  • Conference Presentations
  • View more

Can Colleges and Universities Become Bioregional Regeneration Learning Centers?

  • Otterbein University (OH)
  • Agraria Center for Regenerative Practice (OH)

Daniel Wahl, in his manual-for-the-future DESIGNING REGENERATIVE CULTURES, calls for colleges to become “bioregional learning and research centers” in order to best make use of our expertise for addressing the ...

  • Posted May 17, 2023
  • Conference Presentations
  • View more

Students Taking on Oil & Petrochemicals Fellowship

  • Post-Landfill Action Network (NH)

PLAN’s Students Taking on Oil and Petrochemicals (STOP) Fellowship supports students that attend universities in Appalachia, a region threatened by an impending petrochemical buildout. This year-long fellowship provides students ...

  • Posted May 17, 2023
  • Conference Presentations
  • View more

Regional Decarbonization Framework (RDF) - Integrated Long-Term Planning from San Diego County

  • San Diego County (CA)

The global scientific consensus is unequivocal: the world is in the midst of a climate crisis and our window to meaningfully reduce greenhouse gas emissions is closing. In order to ...

  • Posted May 17, 2023
  • Conference Presentations
  • View more

Co-Learning Partnerships & Carbon Management in Denmark & Canada

  • University of Northern British Columbia (BC)
  • Aarhus University

Businesses are increasingly interested in carbon management as a climate change mitigation tool. They want to respond to climate policy targets aimed at keeping global warming within a two-degree centigrade ...

  • Posted May 17, 2023
  • Conference Presentations
  • View more

Keynote: Peter Kalmus

  • University of British Columbia (BC)
  • National Aeronautics and Space Administration (NASA) (MD)

"I’ve realized that the main impact of reducing our emissions isn’t the emissions reduction itself: by modeling change, we tell a new story of what’s possible, shifting ...

  • Posted May 17, 2023
  • Conference Presentations
  • View more

Editor-in-Chief on Current Research and Authorship Opportunities

  • Northeastern University (MA)

Dr. Venkatesan, Editor-in-Chief of Sustainability and Climate Change, discusses some of her recently published work in the Journal, as well as current Journal Calls for Papers and author contribution opportunities.

  • Posted May 17, 2023
  • Conference Presentations
  • View more

Hemispheric University Consortium Campus Sustainability Initiative​

  • University of Miami (FL)
  • Universidad San Francisco de Quito (Pichincha)

We will present data gathered from the working groups experience in applying STARS in their respective campus. Real life pictures and short testimonials will give a taste to the audience ...

  • Posted May 17, 2023
  • Conference Presentations
  • View more

Community Solar: Supercharging the Equitable Energy Transition

  • Solar Energy Industries Association (DC)

The U.S. is at a pivotal moment in the fight against climate change and must take decisive action to build an equitable clean energy economy. In this presentation, David ...

  • Posted May 17, 2023
  • Conference Presentations
  • View more

Environmental Justice & Nature Immersion: A Collaborative Partnership

  • North Hennepin Community College (MN)
  • YMCA of the North (MN)

GCST 1970 is a nature-based, credit-bearing program for North Hennepin Community College and high school students from Brooklyn Park, MN, in partnership with the YMCA and Three Rivers Park District ...

  • Posted May 17, 2023
  • Conference Presentations
  • View more

Using Self-Assessment to Extend Sustainability Competency Development

  • MacEwan University (AB)

One of the key benefits of developing sustainability competencies is that they enable students to pursue future work and study opportunities within sustainability despite diverse fields and challenges. However, if ...

  • Posted May 17, 2023
  • Conference Presentations
  • View more

Tools to Fill the Education Gap for Agenda 2030

  • United Nations Sustainable Development Solutions Network (NY)

This discussion will cover the tools needed to fill the gap in higher education systems for Agenda 2030. The mission of the SDG Academy is to create and curate the ...

  • Posted May 17, 2023
  • Conference Presentations
  • View more

Impactful Sustainability Curriculum: Supporting Faculty Implementation of High Impact Teaching

  • Georgia Institute of Technology (GA)
  • University of Oregon (OR)

Integrating Service-Learning/Community Engagement (SLCE) into Education for Sustainable Development (ESD) can enhance student learning outcomes and competencies, across all disciplines. SLCE in higher education has been shown to enhance ...

  • Posted May 17, 2023
  • Conference Presentations
  • View more

The 2041 Project: Imagining a Positive Climate Future

  • State University of New York at Oneonta (NY)

One of the essential tasks in responding to the ongoing climate crisis is imagining alternatives to current circumstances that could lead to possible, plausible, and positive futures. Simply absorbing data ...

  • Posted May 17, 2023
  • Conference Presentations
  • View more

Lightning Talks: Teaching & Learning (Group 1)

  • Lipscomb University (TN)
  • Thompson Rivers University (BC)
  • University of Liverpool

This session consists of 3 15-minute Lightning Talk sessions related to teaching and learning. The Lightning Talks are: Turning Out Graduates Who Can Promote Sustainability Within Organisations - This session covers ...

  • Posted May 17, 2023
  • Conference Presentations
  • View more

Teaching Behavior Change Principles for Sustainability Careers

  • Center for Behavior and Climate (FL)
  • Behavior Development Solutions (FL)

As sustainability professionals, we know that to address climate change in the short timeframe we have left requires nothing more than transformational systems change. Sustainability programs have an urgent role ...

  • Posted May 17, 2023
  • Conference Presentations
  • View more

Integrating Climate Justice and Climate Change Into Curricula Through Community-Based Learning

  • Portland Community College (OR)

Portland Community College’s 2021 Climate Action Plan: Resiliency, Equity and Education for a Just Transition calls for the college to support and encourage students to engage with sustainability and ...

  • Posted May 17, 2023
  • Conference Presentations
  • View more

Shooting for the STARS in Australasia and Helping Improve Global Application

  • University of Queensland (QLD)
  • University of Tasmania (TAS)

Three Australasian universities recently submitted their first STARS report, each achieving a Silver rating after many lessons learned as new participants in the self-reporting framework. Each university is now working ...

  • Posted May 17, 2023
  • Conference Presentations
  • View more

Student Fellowship Programs in Sustainability

  • New Mexico Institute of Mining and Technology (NM)
  • University of California, Los Angeles (CA)
  • National Wildlife Federation (VA)
  • Antioch University (OH)

This live networking and discussion session will be led by current National Wildlife Federation student fellows and program staff and will explore opportunities for meaningful fellowship programs and provide a ...

  • Posted May 17, 2023
  • Conference Presentations
  • View more

A Review of an Online International Sustainability Collaboration

  • The College of Saint Scholastica (MN)

In spring of 2021, nine Chemistry and Sustainability at The College of St. Scholastica entered into an innovative active learning collaboration with five English-major Russian students at Petrozavodsk State University ...

  • Posted May 17, 2023
  • Conference Presentations
  • View more

Advancing the SDGs through Education Abroad

  • Pennsylvania State University (PA)
  • The Forum on Education Abroad (RI)

It may seem that institutional goals for education abroad are at odds with institutional goals for sustainability. But what if your study abroad programming could actually advance one or more ...

  • Posted May 17, 2023
  • Conference Presentations
  • View more

The Break Free From Plastic Pledge

  • Post-Landfill Action Network (NH)

This holistic plastic elimination pledge has been signed onto by 19 schools-- Could you school be next? Learn about what our pledge is and how you can use it as ...

  • Posted May 17, 2023
  • Conference Presentations
  • View more

Fair Trade and Climate Justice: How People and Planet Benefit From Fair Trade

  • Fair Trade Colleges & Universities

Fair Trade Campaigns is a powerful grassroots movement mobilizing thousands of conscious consumers and fair trade advocates on campuses and in communities across the U.S. Our Fair Trade Colleges ...

  • Posted May 17, 2023
  • Conference Presentations
  • View more

Data Visualization Speed Date

  • Boston University (MA)

Are you curious how data could be visualized for advancing sustainability in higher education? On our campuses, data visualization is a tool or practice used to summarize a lot of ...

  • Posted May 17, 2023
  • Conference Presentations
  • View more

Community College Networking Session

  • Johnson County Community College (KS)

This session will encourage community college sustainability staff/faculty/students to network, share their triumphs, and seek advice on challenges.

  • Posted May 17, 2023
  • Conference Presentations
  • View more

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