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
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Penn Vet Semi-Annual BioBlitz
- University of Pennsylvania (PA)
The University of Pennsylvania's School of Veterinary Medicine (Penn Vet) celebrated our Earth by exploring the biodiversity around our campus with its semiannual "BioBlitz." Community members from the university, the …
- Posted May 5, 2025
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PSU @ The Portland Farmers Market
- Portland State University (OR)
The Planning & Sustainability Office at PSU was invited to the Portland Farmers Market on April 19th, 2025 to share information about our programs and play some Earth Week Trivia …
- Posted May 5, 2025
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Earth Day Festival Smoothie Bike
- University of Tennessee at Knoxville (TN)
Student rides the smoothie bike at the UT Earth Day festival to learn about clean energy.
- Posted April 28, 2025
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Students and Community Volunteer to Clean Up Local Creek
- University of Tennessee at Knoxville (TN)
Celebrated Earth Week hosting a community litter pick up at a local creek.
- Posted April 28, 2025
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Students Table at Earth Day Festival
- University of Tennessee at Knoxville (TN)
Student workers tabling at the earth day festival for the Free Store, a community-based resource for our students, staff, and faculty. It is dedicated to helping students meet their basic …
- Posted April 28, 2025
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Mobilizing Higher-Ed to Combat the Water & Plastic Crises
- Antioch University, Seattle (WA)
- Catawba College (NC)
- The New School (NY)
- AASHE (MA)
- Didomi (MN)
This webinar will explore how higher education institutions can play a transformative role in tackling the global water crisis and reducing single-use plastics on campuses. Using insights from Didomi’s Commitment …
- Posted April 28, 2025
- Videos & Webinars
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CCNY and Columbia University Environmental Justice Summit
- Columbia University (NY)
- The City College of New York (NY)
City College of New York, PSC-CUNY CCNY Environmental Justice Committee, Environmental and Climate Justice at Columbia Project, Center for Science and Society, Incite Institute, and WEACT present a three-part event …
- Posted April 23, 2025
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Northwestern University Earth Month Fair
- Northwestern University (IL)
sustainNU, Northwestern University's Campus Sustainability Program, hosts an annual Earth Month Fair to share sustainability work happening on campus and what people can do to reduce their environmental impact. The …
- Posted April 22, 2025
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From STARS Points to Impactful Teaching: The Role of TASK
- AASHE (MA)
- HEC Montréal (QC)
- KEDGE Business School (Bordeaux)
- University of Sussex (Sussex)
- Sulitest
Integrating sustainability into education is both essential and challenging. Institutions must balance transdisciplinarity with the need for specialized expertise, engage faculty and staff who may have varying levels of familiarity …
- Posted April 10, 2025
- Videos & Webinars
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Making the Most out of an Interdisciplinary Introduction to Sustainability
- AASHE (MA)
- MacEwan University (AB)
In the session we will be looking through the resources. Attendees will be able to try out some of the activities in the open resource and explore teaching opportunities with …
- Posted March 27, 2025
- Videos & Webinars
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Inflation Reduction Act Lessons Learned
- University of Minnesota, Twin Cities (MN)
- AASHE (MA)
- Deloitte Consulting LLP (TX)
The Inflation Reduction Act (IRA) offers higher education institutions an unprecedented opportunity to receive cash refunds ranging from 6% to 70% of qualified clean energy investments. In this webinar, Deloitte …
- Posted March 26, 2025
- Videos & Webinars
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BIG10 & Friends Sustainability Networking Meeting
- University of Nebraska - Lincoln (NE)
This networking session will allow members of the BIG10 & Friends Sustainability Network to gather in person and discuss lessons learned, successes, and next steps in a variety of initiatives …
- Posted Feb. 28, 2025
- Conference Presentations
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Accelerate Connections: Speed Networking for Sustainability Professionals
- The University of British Columbia (BC)
The "Speed Networking for Sustainability Professionals" session is designed to quickly and effectively connect participants, helping them expand their professional networks in a dynamic setting. Ideal for sustainability experts, researchers, …
- Posted Feb. 28, 2025
- Conference Presentations
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California Sustainability in Higher Education Meetup
- Santa Clara University (CA)
This session is for faculty, students, and staff from California's higher education institutions to discuss current and relevant sustainability initiatives.
- Posted Feb. 28, 2025
- Conference Presentations
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Campus as Lab Managers, Coordinators and Faculty
- Duke University (NC)
Find your "Campus as Lab" people! Want to meet others in a similar role and "talk shop" about using your institution's infrastructure and operations for applied student learning? Come say …
- Posted Feb. 28, 2025
- Conference Presentations
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IRA and Resources Discussion Community of Practice
- Boise State University (ID)
The IRA and Resources Discussion Community of Practice is a space where higher-education professionals and partners can gather to discuss how to utilize the Inflation Reduction Act. This session will …
- Posted Feb. 28, 2025
- Conference Presentations
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Health-Promoting Campus Networks Meet-Up
- Auburn University (AL)
This session aims to gather participants from campuses that have joined a country-based Health-Promoting Network and/or discussed the adoption of the Okanagan Charter. The session will briefly review information on …
- Posted Feb. 28, 2025
- Conference Presentations
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Creating Sustainable Connections: Pre-Conference Networking using Liberating Structures
- AASHE (MA)
Kickstart your conference experience by attending an engaging and interactive session designed to foster meaningful connections among early-arriving attendees through the dynamic and inclusive approach of Liberating Structures.
- Posted Feb. 28, 2025
- Conference Presentations
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Senior Leaders Forum
- AASHE (MA)
The intention of this session is to connect senior sustainability change agents who have roles and/or responsibilities similar to yours to: Create a space for senior professionals to build and …
- Posted Feb. 28, 2025
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Keynote: Peggy Shepard
- WE ACT for Environmental Justice (NY)
"Every community has the right to a clean environment, and you do not need to be an environmental champion or a climate justice leader to embrace that value. So I …
- Posted Feb. 28, 2025
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How Can Higher Ed Leverage Its Strengths to Support our Communities to Act on the Climate Crisis
- University of Calgary (AB)
How can universities and colleges leverage their strengths to support our communities to act on the climate crisis? This presentation will share insights from Mobilizing Alberta- a five-year project with …
- Posted Feb. 28, 2025
- Conference Presentations
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Pairing Sustainable Systems Major and Technical Assistance Program to Achieve Wins
- University of Minnesota, Twin Cities (MN)
This session discusses collaborations between a Sustainable Systems Management Major and a technical outreach program (Minnesota Technical Assistance Program -MnTAP) to provide opportunities for sustainability undergraduate students to gain experiential …
- Posted Feb. 28, 2025
- Conference Presentations
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Sustainable Buffs in the Neighborhood: City of Boulder Invests in Students and Climate
- University of Colorado Boulder (CO)
For over 25 years the Environmental Center has been funded by the City of Boulder to provide student jobs in peer to peer outreach on energy, water, and waste conservation. …
- Posted Feb. 28, 2025
- Conference Presentations
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Going Beyond Schoolhouse Rock: Sustainability and Public Policy
- University of California, Office of the President (CA)
- University of California, Los Angeles (CA)
Whether they live and breathe policymaking or not, sustainability professionals have varying levels of interaction with government and public policy. Collaborating intentionally with government on common interests can provide value …
- Posted Feb. 28, 2025
- Conference Presentations
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Texas Regional Alliance for Campus Sustainability (TRACS) Networking Session
- Rice University (TX)
- Texas A&M University (TX)
This is a networking meeting for Texans and other parties interested in the Texas Regional Alliance for Campus Sustainability (TRACS) to connect and discuss campus sustainability topics unique to the …
- Posted Feb. 28, 2025
- Conference Presentations
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Sustainability Institutes and Labs: From Research to Real-World Impact
- Harvard University (MA)
Campuses have been centers of producing ground-breaking research on critical topics for centuries. Some have succeeded in disseminating that information in a way that catalyzes action, while other research papers …
- Posted Feb. 28, 2025
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Keynote: Shaun Harper
- University of Southern California (CA)
Shaun Harper is one of America’s most highly respected diversity, equity, and inclusion experts. He is a Provost Professor in the Rossier School of Education, Price School of Public Policy, …
- Posted Feb. 28, 2025
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Keynote: David W. Orr
- Arizona State University (AZ)
David W. Orr is the Paul Sears Distinguished Professor of Environmental Studies and Politics emeritus at Oberlin College and currently serves as a Professor of Practic at Arizona State University. …
- Posted Feb. 28, 2025
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Green Grounds Networking Session
- Re:wild Your Campus (TX)
Join Re:wild Your Campus for a networking session for schools interested in greening their grounds management practices - this includes reducing pesticide usage, increasing native plantings, and integrating organic practices …
- Posted Feb. 28, 2025
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Sustainability Efforts with Beverage Companies - Networking Session
- University of Dayton (OH)
This is a networking session that will allow for individuals to share how they have leveraged relationships with beverage companies to be able to offer more sustainable packaging or products …
- Posted Feb. 28, 2025
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LGBTQIA+ Meet-Up
- University at Buffalo (NY)
This session is for any individual from the LGBTQIA+ community that wants to connect with others in the AASHE network. It will be a safe space to build relationships and …
- Posted Feb. 28, 2025
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Sustainability Without Equity - Responding to Anti-DEI Bills
- University of Texas at Austin (TX)
The three E's of sustainability are the environment, economy, and equity. Over the past year, we have seen dramatic changes in higher education concerning the third E, namely in diversity, …
- Posted Feb. 28, 2025
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A Faculty Meetup – Where do we go From Here
- Ramapo College of New Jersey (NJ)
- University of Hawaii at Manoa (HI)
This session is a collaborative gathering aimed at fostering open discussions among faculty members about future directions in sustainability education and initiatives. Several topics at the June Sustainability Education Forum …
- Posted Feb. 28, 2025
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Essential Tensions in Graduate Training for Research-Practice on Urban Transformations
- Georgia State University (GA)
- University of Colorado Denver Business School (CO)
It is imperative that cities become more inclusive, safe, resilient, and sustainable, and society’s need to imagine, design, and implement innovative strategies has never been greater. Less clear is whether …
- Posted Feb. 28, 2025
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Community College Networking Meeting
- Johnson County Community College (KS)
This session provides opportunities for community college sustainability staff/faculty/students to share their successes and challenges with each other. Additionally, the new AASHE Community/Technical College support community will be introduced.
- Posted Feb. 28, 2025
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International Networking Session
- AASHE (MA)
Join this session to network with attendees from outside of the US and Canada, learn about AASHE's work with campuses around the world, and the variety of global organizations that …
- Posted Feb. 28, 2025
- Conference Presentations
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HEI Administrators and Managers Networking Session
- University of Toronto (ON)
A “whole-institution approach” — involving departments, operations, and governance — is required to achieve sustainable, climate-positive campuses. The community actively engaging in and incorporating sustainable practices on campus now extends …
- Posted Feb. 28, 2025
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Take the SDGs Global with Education Abroad & International Services
- Texas A&M University (TX)
This session will examine the powerful synergy between sustainability initiatives and global programs. Presenters will demonstrate the impact of forging strategic alliances between your sustainability office and key players like …
- Posted Feb. 28, 2025
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Faith-Based Higher Education Institution Networking Session
- Loyola University Chicago (IL)
- Oklahoma City University (OK)
Faith-Based Higher Education Institution Networking Session
- Posted Feb. 28, 2025
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Elevating Impact Through Local Government Partnership
- Northeastern University (MA)
- Stanford University (CA)
Colleges and universities cannot solve the climate crisis alone. We are deeply connected to our surrounding neighborhoods and the cities and towns that host and partner with us. Much like …
- Posted Feb. 28, 2025
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Sustainability, Y'all! Southeastern Schools Meet Up
- Kennesaw State University (GA)
- University of North Carolina, Charlotte (NC)
- University of Georgia (GA)
Do you attend or represent a college or university in the southeastern US? Do you want to connect with folks from other schools from this distinctive part of the continent? …
- Posted Feb. 28, 2025
- Conference Presentations
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Networking Session for Canadian Institutions
- McGill University (QC)
- University of the Fraser Valley (BC)
Networking session for sustainability practitioners from insitutions in Canada.
- Posted Feb. 28, 2025
- Conference Presentations
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Mountain West Higher Ed Sustainability Networking
- Colorado State University (CO)
A session for higher ed institutions in the Mountain West region to network
- Posted Feb. 28, 2025
- Conference Presentations
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Interactive Networking Session with the Upper Midwest Association for Campus Sustainability
- University of South Dakota (SD)
- Western Technical College (WI)
Are you a sustainability leader (student, staff, faculty or community partner) in the Upper Midwest? Join us for an informal and interactive networking hosted by the Upper Midwest Association for …
- Posted Feb. 28, 2025
- Conference Presentations
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Please Like Me: Engage an Audience with Student-Led Social Media
- University of Arizona (AZ)
The University of Arizona's Office of Sustainability has transformed its social media strategy by adopting a student-centered and student-driven approach, yielding significant engagement and collaboration across the university. By involving …
- Posted Feb. 28, 2025
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Scope 3 Networking
- Indiana University Indianapolis (IN)
- Pennsylvania State University (PA)
- University of Nebraska - Lincoln (NE)
As integrating Scope 3 emissions into commitments becomes more standard practice, opportunities and barriers to integration need to be recognized and addressed. This session is designed to be an open …
- Posted Feb. 27, 2025
- Conference Presentations
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Observing Earth Day 2025 On your Campus
- Appalachian State University (NC)
- AASHE (MA)
- Earthday.org (DC)
Learn about the theme of Earth Day 2025: “Our Power, Our Planet,” focused on promoting renewable energy and the power of advocacy! Lee and Libby will introduce you to the …
- Posted Jan. 30, 2025
- Videos & Webinars
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Binghamton 2 Degrees: Building Community Resilience Through Collaborative Action
- Binghamton University (NY)
Binghamton 2 Degrees is a transformative initiative uniting Binghamton University and the greater Binghamton community to envision a resilient future under the looming threat of two degrees of warming. Through …
- Posted Jan. 27, 2025
- Case Studies
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B.Y.O. Campaign and Romeoville Repair Cafe: Reducing Waste by Promoting a Circular Economy through Single Use Waste Reduction and Product Repair
- Joliet Junior College (IL)
American throwaway culture is rapidly expanding garbage landfill around the world; majorly, it’s caused by planned or perceived obsolesces and daily disposables. Many people unknowingly throw away items that could …
- Posted Jan. 27, 2025
- Case Studies
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Cat Trax Bike Share Program
- University of New Hampshire (NH)
Cat Trax bike share is a collaborative program between the town of Durham, NH and the UNH Sustainability Institute. We manage and maintain a fleet of 30 bikes that are …
- Posted Jan. 27, 2025
- Case Studies
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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.