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.

2945 resources

Activism or Silence as a Sustainability Office?

  • New York University (NY)

We live in a time when activism has become a regular part of our lives and addresses a multitude of issues. As Sustainability Officers, our passions and worldviews are often ...

  • Posted Nov. 5, 2018
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Building a Consistent Sustainability Brand

  • Lehigh University (PA)

In order to reap the full benefits of consistently communicating the values and messages that are core to your sustainability brand, it is important to design brand guidelines the define ...

  • Posted Nov. 5, 2018
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Bridging the gap: Community Engagement Programs, Sustainability, and the SDGs

  • Georgia Southern University (GA)

During this session participants will gain an understanding of how alternative breaks can support and collaborate with sustainability initiatives towards the SDGs. How do sustainability and community engagement offices engage ...

  • Posted Nov. 5, 2018
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Mobilizing Colleges with Earth Integrity Training

  • City University of New York, John Jay College of Criminal Justice (NY)
  • Environmental Education Fund (NJ)

Earth Integrity Training (EIT) is a program for colleges to mobilize their communities about urgent environmental issues. It provides creative and multimedia content for a 2-3 hour seminar that colleges ...

  • Posted Nov. 5, 2018
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Communication Strategies to Reach Beyond the Choir

  • Colgate University (NY)
  • University of Denver (CO)
  • University of Virginia (VA)

Often times, sustainability professionals and communicators can reach a plateau when working to reach new audiences. Our institutions can often be so siloed that it is challenging to draw in ...

  • Posted Nov. 5, 2018
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Develop Your Toolkit for Sustainability Communications

  • Colgate University (NY)
  • Princeton University (NJ)
  • University of Wisconsin-Madison (WI)

Communications play an increasingly important role as we rise to the challenge to reach the global Sustainable Development Goals. However, many sustainability professionals may find their toolkit a bit empty ...

  • Posted Nov. 5, 2018
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Academic Libraries Fostering Resilient Communities

  • Michigan State University (MI)
  • University of Arizona (AZ)
  • University of Utah (UT)

Every institution of higher education already has an academic library that can be a partner in campus sustainability. This program offers specific ideas for how faculty, sustainability staff and administrators ...

  • Posted Nov. 5, 2018
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Reel Sustainability: Connecting to Audiences Through Video Storytelling

  • Princeton University (NJ)
  • University of California, Berkeley (CA)
  • University of North Carolina, Asheville (NC)
  • University of Montana (MT)
  • Emory University (GA)
  • Massachusetts Institute of Technology (MA)
  • Central New Mexico Community College (NM)

From television commercials to YouTube, Snapchat, and even Facebook Live, it's no secret that video has become a staple of our everyday lives. Video provides an easy and efficient ...

  • Posted Nov. 5, 2018
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Advancing Organizational Change for Sustainable Development Goals Through Neuropsychology

  • University of Southern California (CA)

What role does neuropsychology play as a determinant for successful organizational change toward Sustainable Development Goals? This session explores the inter-related notions of reflective practice, metacognition, cultural norms, and critical ...

  • Posted Nov. 5, 2018
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The Intersectionality of the Arts and Environmental Activism

  • University of Denver (CO)

At the University of Denver, the Center for Sustainability has established a Zero Waste Program at all sports games, and the average diversion rate of waste from landfill is approximately ...

  • Posted Nov. 5, 2018
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Community-Driven Reuse Initiatives

  • Flower City Pickers (NY)

This session will explore examples where waste, whether that is food, electronics, clothing, and more are recovered and either resold or redistributed by creating and leveraging purpose-driven communities. It explores ...

  • Posted Nov. 5, 2018
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Local to Global - 5 Strategies for Leaders to Win Change Now and After Graduation

  • Elected Officials to Protect America (SC)

First they ignore you, then they laugh at you, then they fight you, and then you win' - Gandhi This dynamic, interactive workshop will hone your public leadership skills and teach ...

  • Posted Nov. 5, 2018
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Sustainability, Equity & Inclusivity: Diversifying the Conversation

  • Carnegie Mellon University (PA)

Sustainability Weekend is a conference organized by graduate and undergraduate students from various departments at CMU. This year's theme, 'Sustainability, Inclusivity & Equity' seeks to expand the scope of ...

  • Posted Nov. 5, 2018
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Sustainabili-TEA: The Evolution and Efficacy of Podcasts as a Medium for Sustainability Literacy

  • College of Charleston (SC)

The Office of Sustainability has seen a strong response to using Podcasts to highlight stories, perspectives, and information to the campus and greater community. The efforts were first introduced as ...

  • Posted Nov. 5, 2018
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An Environmental Sustainability Badge Program Using Co-Curricular and Community Service Learning

  • Central Community College (NE)

Integrating environmental sustainability community service learning into curriculum requires faculty, staff, and community engagement. Students and faculty that are passionate about implementing change in the community are developing mutually beneficial ...

  • Posted Nov. 5, 2018
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GreenTech LIU: A Digital Platform for Campus SDG Collaboration

  • LIU Post (NY)

Sustainability and education for global citizenship are essential literacies for the 21st century. LIU Post's Center for Sustainability wants faculty and students to have powerful and effective digital tools ...

  • Posted Nov. 5, 2018
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Acts of Art for the Environment

  • Carnegie Mellon University (PA)

In Sustainable Earth, there are two different project groups, one focusing on the intersection of environmentalism and technology, the other on environmental art. My poster will focus on how art ...

  • Posted Nov. 5, 2018
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Learning From the Past to Inform the Future: Leveraging Campus-Community Partnerships With Dialogue

  • Slippery Rock University (PA)

Achieving complex sustainable development goals that integrate human and natural systems, including health and wellbeing as well as sustainable cities and communities, requires open and transparent collaboration with stakeholders. At ...

  • Posted Nov. 5, 2018
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Sustainability Week: A Case Study in Diversity of Programing to Maximize Outreach Across Barriers

  • College of Charleston (SC)

The College of Charleston's Office of Sustainability has had several flagship programs and series over the years, but none near the scale and dynamism of the annual Sustainability Week ...

  • Posted Nov. 5, 2018
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Graphic Design Strategies for Sustainability

  • Western Michigan University (MI)

Graphic designers can create positive change by integrating sustainability into their work. Graphic design is often not a sustainable practice, even so, sustainable design guidelines can reduce its impact. Energy ...

  • Posted Nov. 5, 2018
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Visual Storytelling for Sustainability: Raising Your Game in Photo and Video

  • Princeton University (NJ)
  • University of Wisconsin-Madison (WI)

Do you struggle to take photos that look 'professional' rather than run-of-the-mill? Is the idea of making a video, or even the occasional Boomerang clip, intimidating? In short, are quality ...

  • Posted Nov. 5, 2018
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Beyond the Ball: Sustainability Success in Nontraditional Athletics

  • Indiana University-Purdue University Indianapolis (IUPUI) (IN)
  • The Ohio State University (OH)
  • University of Colorado Boulder (CO)
  • University of Louisiana at Lafayette (LA)

By leveraging sports like synchronized swimming (The Ohio State University), diving (IUPUI), or engaging K-12 students through on-campus sports sustainability games (University of Colorado/University of Louisiana), campuses are able ...

  • Posted Nov. 5, 2018
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Selling Sustainability: 5 Principles of Persuasion

  • Kirksey Architecture (TX)

In today's political and social climate, an understanding of the science of persuasion is the most important tool for any environmentalist. Led by two Texas-based sustainability consultants and green ...

  • Posted Nov. 5, 2018
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Breaking Down 'Drawdown' - Explaining Global Sustainability Solutions at the Community Level

  • University of Virginia (VA)

There's a new framework for climate action in town - Project Drawdown is self-described as a comprehensive efforts to 'identify, research, and model the 100 most substantive, existing solutions to ...

  • Posted Nov. 5, 2018
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Evolving Building Sustainability: United Nations Economic Commission for Europe Framework Principles

  • Pennsylvania State University (PA)
  • Rochester Institute of Technology (NY)
  • University College Dublin, National University of Ireland

Buildings consume 40% of energy globally. As buildings are continuously enhanced to be more sustainable and healthy, a number of strategies have been employed to achieve energy reduction targets. This ...

  • Posted Nov. 5, 2018
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Beyond Offsetting: Onsetting Scope 3 Emissions and Supporting Innovative Local Projects

  • Earth Deeds (MA)

Universities struggle to find meaningful ways to address their Scope 3 emissions, especially with regard to staff travel and study abroad. This session will explain carbon 'onsetting' as a positive ...

  • Posted Nov. 5, 2018
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Creative Approaches for Engaging People in Climate Action

  • Care About Climate, Inc (AZ)

During this workshop participants will discuss innovative ways to engage both their campus population and general public in climate action initiatives. These approaches may include incentivizing people to take responsible ...

  • Posted Nov. 5, 2018
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Examining Data from Across Higher Ed: Does a Commitment Drive More Progress?

  • University of New Hampshire (NH)

In November 2017, the University of New Hampshire (UNH) launched the Sustainability Indicator Management and Analysis Platform (SIMAP™), a new inventory tool replacing the Campus Carbon Calculator and the CarbonMAP ...

  • Posted Nov. 5, 2018
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OffsetNetwork.org: Higher Ed's Hub for Self-Generated Offset Projects and Peer Verification

  • American University (DC)
  • Duke University (NC)
  • Second Nature (MA)

The Offset Network is an online platform for colleges and universities to share experience, lessons learned and tell the stories behind developing their own carbon offset projects. The site provides ...

  • Posted Nov. 5, 2018
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From Incremental to Transformative Climate Action: Lessons Learned From Addressing Barriers

  • University of California, Office of the President (CA)
  • University of California, Los Angeles (CA)

What are the most fundamental and challenging barriers to achieving carbon neutrality at a large research university? The first University of California campus to publish a climate action plan (CAP ...

  • Posted Nov. 5, 2018
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Assessing Campus and Community Resilience in Rural America

  • Central Community College (NE)
  • Green Mountain College (VT)
  • Second Nature (MA)

Rural colleges and universities face unique considerations when assessing campus and community climate resilience. While there are common elements to resilience at any institution, the political and economic landscape for ...

  • Posted Nov. 5, 2018
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Putting A Price On Carbon: Fighting for Strong Climate Policy on the Campus, State and Federal Level

  • Our Climate (OR)

We already face the disastrous impacts of climate change: unprecedented droughts and heatwaves, stronger hurricanes, ocean acidification, sea level rise, the spread of infectious disease. The cost of these changes ...

  • Posted Nov. 5, 2018
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The Role of Campuses in Driving Climate Resilience Planning

  • Dickinson College (PA)
  • University of California, Los Angeles (CA)
  • University of Illinois Chicago (IL)
  • Second Nature (MA)

As impacts from climate change intensify, a growing number of initiatives are emerging to increase resilience locally and globally. Campuses across the US are stepping up to prepare for climate ...

  • Posted Nov. 5, 2018
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Campus & Community Resilience: Experiences from Community College & University Partnerships

  • Arizona State University (AZ)
  • California State University, Northridge (CA)
  • Portland State University (OR)
  • Second Nature (MA)

Campuses in Portland, Los Angeles, and Phoenix were involved in the Climate Resilience in Urban Campuses + Communities (CRUX) project to support the implementation of resilience-related elements of the colleges and ...

  • Posted Nov. 5, 2018
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Using Community‐Based Learning to Teach Environmental Sustainability Engineering: Notes from the Classroom

  • University of Wisconsin-Madison (WI)

In line with University of Wisconsin tradition, community-based learning was integrated into a course on sustainability as an opportunity for students to apply the tools learned in the course to ...


The Role of Business in Education and Training for Sustainable Development

  • Arizona State University (AZ)

Education is at the heart of human progress and the UN Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs). It enables people to build better lives and equips business and society to address our ...


2018 AASHE Conference & Expo Closing Keynote Address

  • Pennsylvania State University (PA)
  • AASHE (PA)

Dr. Paul Shrivastava, Chief Sustainability Officer at Penn State University and the Director of the Sustainability Institute and Professor of Organizations at the Smeal School of Business, was the closing ...

  • Posted Oct. 24, 2018
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2018 AASHE Conference & Expo Opening Keynote Address

  • AASHE (PA)
  • United Nations Environment Programme

Ms. Akpezi Ogbuigwe, former Head of Environmental Education and Training at the United Nations Environmental Program, was the opening keynote speaker for the 2018 AASHE Conference & Expo.

NOTE: Ms ...

  • Posted Oct. 24, 2018
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Sustainability and engagement: strange bedfellows in the undergraduate textbook

  • Michigan State University (MI)
  • Pacific University (OR)

This paper aims to examine the textual coverage of the topic of public engagement in leading English language sustainability textbooks.

In this paper, the authors’ findings are based on a ...

  • Posted Oct. 23, 2018
  • Publications
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UCC becomes first university outside the US to win top Green award

  • AASHE (PA)
  • University College Cork - National University of Ireland, Cork (Co. Cork)

The University College Cork is the first institution in Ireland to earn a STARS Gold rating.

  • Posted Oct. 10, 2018
  • Publications
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The Climate-Friendly Global Academic Conference with a Human Touch

  • Swarthmore College (PA)
  • Tufts University (MA)
  • University of California, Santa Barbara (CA)
  • AASHE (PA)
  • University of Graz

Aviation is responsible for a large proportion of the climate impact of professional life in university communities. One much-discussed option for reducing this climate impact is to shift some conferencing ...

  • Posted Sept. 13, 2018
  • Videos & Webinars
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Professional Skills in Sustainability

  • Arizona State University (AZ)
  • AASHE (PA)

There is often a mismatch between the learning outcomes of higher education programs and the professional skills required for sustainability jobs. This webinar provides an overview of professional skills in ...

  • Posted Sept. 6, 2018
  • Videos & Webinars
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Campus Sustainability Month 2018: Nonpartisan Engagement and the November Elections

  • National Association of Independent Colleges & Universities (DC)
  • AASHE (PA)
  • Higher Education Associations Sustainability Consortium (HEASC) (PA)

The theme for this year’s Campus Sustainability Month is Nonpartisan Engagement and the November Elections. Please join AASHE and the Higher Education Associations Sustainability Consortium (HEASC) as we explore ...

  • Posted Aug. 30, 2018
  • Videos & Webinars
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Election Imperatives: Ten Recommendations to Increase College Student Voting and Improve Political Learning and Engagement in Democracy

  • Tufts University (MA)

Drawing from our research on college student voting and the campus climates of highly politically engaged institutions, this report offers ten recommendations to increase student voting and to improve campus ...

  • Posted Aug. 29, 2018
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Washington Youth Summit on the Environment

  • George Mason University (VA)

Students conduct fish sampling survey in the Potomac River off the shores of Leesylvania State Park.


Resilient Cities Initiative

  • California State University, Chico (CA)

The Resilient Cities Initiative (RCI) is an interdisciplinary applied research think-tank for cities established by the Institute for Sustainable Development at California State University, Chico in 2016. The RCI connects ...


Fair Trade Fair at Seattle University

  • Seattle University (WA)

In 2015, Seattle University was the first University in the Pacific Northwest to be designated as a Fair Trade University, building awareness about Fair Trade and getting Fair Trade products ...


Emory University supports local community project and skilled job training with commitment to purchase lettuce

  • Emory University (GA)

Emory University and the Community Foundation for Greater Atlanta partnered on a project to create green jobs in a low-income area of Atlanta and help Emory achieve its 75% local ...


UConn ECOCoin Program

  • University of Connecticut (CT)

In 2017, the University of Connecticut bookstore rolled out its ECOCoin initiative, through which customers are given an ECOCoin each time they forfeit a plastic bag at the register. The ...


Dickinson's Online Sustainability Dashboard

  • Dickinson College (PA)

Dickinson is monitoring our sustainability performance over time and holding ourselves accountable for advancing sustainability practices. Our online sustainability dashboard allows users to explore up to date performance metrics for ...

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