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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Enable by House by Northwestern - a 2017 U.S. DOE Solar Decathlon Team
- Northwestern University (IL)
The U.S. Department of Energy Solar Decathlon showcases innovative solar powered houses that are designed, built, and operated by collegiate teams. It is a collegiate competition of 10 contests that …
- Posted May 10, 2018
- Case Studies
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Sustainability University–Community Partnerships: Lessons for practitioners and scholars from highly sustainable communities
- Colorado State University (CO)
- Missouri State University (MO)
As local communities face increasing pressure to address environmental concerns, town–gown partnerships are one avenue for improving environmental conditions and sustainability planning for the future. Partnerships between community leaders and …
- Posted May 8, 2018
- Publications
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Earth Day Fair at UI Health
- University of Illinois Chicago (IL)
Join the UI Health Green Team and outside organizations focused on sustainability at our upcoming Earth Day Fair on Friday, April 20! The event is open to both staff and …
- Posted May 8, 2018
- Photographs
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Penn State Green Team
- Pennsylvania State University (PA)
The Penn State Green Team hosted an earth day jeopardy competition with the College of the Liberal Arts department and the help of the Sustainability Institute every one enjoyed Earth …
- Posted May 8, 2018
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Arbor Day Tree Planting
- University of Illinois Chicago (IL)
UIC is a Tree Campus USA and on crisp, cool and sunny morning, we celebrated Arbor Day with many UIC students, staff, faculty, and other tree enthusiasts. We planted two …
- Posted May 8, 2018
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Making Bike Powered Smoothies on Earth Day
- University of Iowa (IA)
On Earth Day, The University of Iowa Office of Sustainability set up a bike with a blender attachment at the Iowa Physicians for Social Responsibility's Earth Day event at the …
- Posted May 1, 2018
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Earth Tones - Earth Day Concert and Expo
- Appalachian State University (NC)
Appalachian State hosts an annual "Earth Tones" concert, with bands powered by solar panels, on the Duck Pond Field. Sponsored by ASUSES, the festival includes representatives from the SDSA, ASUREI, …
- Posted May 1, 2018
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Trash Fashion Show 2018
- Appalachian State University (NC)
Appalachian State and community partners put on a Trash Fashion Show in the new university/Community HOW space. The designers made clothing from items that would have otherwise been discarded, such …
- Posted May 1, 2018
- Photographs
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Green Industries Career Fair!
- Suffolk County Community College (NY)
During the Month of April Career Services and Office of Sustainability joined together to host a Career specific Job Fair, called “Green Industries Job Fair”. Our goal was to connect …
- Posted April 30, 2018
- Photographs
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Greener Grant Week! Earth Week 2018
- Suffolk County Community College (NY)
A week of Earth Day Events!
Students watched a seed library demonstration and then were able to take home whichever seeds they pleased. They also planted sunflower seeds. Volunteers for …
- Posted April 30, 2018
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Facilitating a World Climate Negotiation Simulation
- University of Massachusetts Lowell (MA)
- AASHE (MA)
The World Climate Simulation has been run with over 35,000 people in nearly 80 countries to enable people to experience the dynamics of the UN climate negotiations. Join this webinar …
- Posted April 26, 2018
- Videos & Webinars
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Climate Change and Art: Transparency with Miguel Barros
- Bow Valley College (AB)
To celebrate Earth Day 2018, the BVC Green team, Intercultural Centre, International Education, and Iniikokaan Aboriginal Centre at Bow Valley College partnered to host artist Miguel Barros' work Transparency, …
- Posted April 26, 2018
- Photographs
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Earth Day 2018 at Chemeketa Community College
- Chemeketa Community College (OR)
Earth Day 2018 as put on by the Associated Students of Chemeketa with support from Student Retention and College Life, and Chemeketa Sustainability.
We want to thank our exhibitors: 350.org …
- Posted April 26, 2018
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DePauw University hosts Earth Week keynote Ian Cheney, filmmaker and founding member of FoodCorps
- DePauw University (IN)
DePauw University's Earth Week keynoter, Ian Cheney, is a founding member of FoodCorps, a food justice nonprofit focused on equitable access to healthy food in public schools, and a documentary …
- Posted April 26, 2018
- Photographs
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Earth Day 5k
- DePauw University (IN)
Participants at DePauw University's Earth Day 5K ready to start the race. Students and community members participating in the DePauw University Earth Day 5K. Participants at the finish line of …
- Posted April 26, 2018
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Sorority Volunteers at Environmental Racism Panel, UW-Madison
- University of Wisconsin-Madison (WI)
As part of Earth Week, UW-Madison Office of Sustainability (OS) and Lambda Theta Alpha Latin Sorority, Incorporated partnered to present a documentary screening of Slawomir Grünberg's "Fenceline: A Company Town …
- Posted April 25, 2018
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Zero Waste Pilot at Earth Day Conference, Madison, WI
- University of Wisconsin-Madison (WI)
UW-Madison Office of Sustainability (OS) interns Anna Weinberg, Ally Burg, and Noemy Serrano monitor a zero waste station during the Nelson Institute for Environmental Studies Earth Day Conference at Monona …
- Posted April 25, 2018
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Sustainability at Universities: Students’ perceptions from Green and Non-Green universities
- Vytautas Magnus University
As institutions of higher education, universities have a significant impact on society and can play a key role in sustainability provision. Particularly, it is expected that green universities, because they …
- Posted April 24, 2018
- Publications
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Texas A&M University Earth Day
- Texas A&M University (TX)
Texas A&M University | Sports & Recreation Texas A&M University Office of Sustainability - Kelly Wellman, Director & Ben Kalscheur, Sustainability Operations Coordinator Texas A&M University Earth Day Event Aggie …
- Posted April 24, 2018
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NMSU Earth Day volunteers from the College of Business
- New Mexico State University (NM)
Business Council students volunteered to help out at our Southern New Mexico Earth Day Festival and we couldn't have done it without them. Thank you NMSU students!
- Posted April 24, 2018
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EarthFest at Cleveland State University
- Cleveland State University (OH)
EarthFest is an annual event on the CSU campus designed to raise awareness about campus and community sustainability initiatives and organizations. EarthFest is hosted by the CSU Office of Sustainability …
- Posted April 24, 2018
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Sustainability: Why Universities Can Lead by Example
- North Central College (IL)
This TEDx Talk describes the benefits of adopting more energy-efficient systems and technology on college campuses. Such practices pay off for these institutions in the long run while also helping …
- Posted April 23, 2018
- Videos & Webinars
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UConn Earth Day Spring Fling
- University of Connecticut (CT)
Earth Day Spring Fling is UConn’s largest annual environmental awareness event and celebration. This year’s event took place on April 18th from 11am-2pm on Fairfield Way, the heart of UConn’s …
- Posted April 23, 2018
- Photographs
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2018 Earth Week at Lehigh University
- Lehigh University (PA)
Lehigh University celebrated Earth Week by hosting a week of educational and engaging events. Earth Week is an opportunity to celebrate the beauty and bounty of our planet, while also …
- Posted April 23, 2018
- Photographs
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The importance of international conferences on sustainable development as higher education institutions' strategies to promote sustainability: A case study in Brazil
- University of Georgia (GA)
- University of Cambridge
This paper analyzes the significance of international conferences for higher education institutions (HEIs)’ promotion of sustainability. The paper has undertaken a detailed review of the scientific literature on strategies of …
- Posted April 18, 2018
- Publications
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The glocal curriculum: A model for transnational collaboration in higher education for sustainable development
- Arizona State University (AZ)
- Leuphana University of Lüneburg
Transnational collaborations between universities provide an underutilized opportunity to teach sustainability competencies emphasizing the global and local nature of (un)sustainability. This article asks: what kind of curricula and teaching-learning environments …
- Posted April 18, 2018
- Publications
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MUSC Earth Day and Local Food Fest 2018
- Medical University of South Carolina (SC)
On Wednesday April 11th, thousands of people attended MUSC Earth Day & Local Food Festival. Almost a dozen food vendors and trucks served up fresh and local produce from nearby …
- Posted April 17, 2018
- Photographs
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Sustainability in higher education: A review of contributions from Portuguese Speaking Countries
- University of Aveiro
- University of Brasilia
The Portuguese-speaking countries (PSC) have a population of close to 250 million and occupy an area of about 10.7 million square kilometers across four continents. Most of these countries are …
- Posted April 17, 2018
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Sustainability-oriented higher education networks: Characteristics and achievements in the context of the UN DESD
- University of Zurich
- Charles University
Higher education institutions (HEIs) are, as a sector, an important actor in society and their role in sustainability transition has been acknowledged. However, their commitments to sustainability expressed through the …
- Posted April 17, 2018
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The Role of University Campuses in Reconnecting Humans to the Biosphere
- Stockholm University
In this paper, we explore the potential for integrating university campuses in a global sustainability agenda for a closer reconnection of urban residents to the biosphere. This calls for a …
- Posted April 17, 2018
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Training in Environmental Policy Advocacy During Challenging Times
- DePauw University (IN)
- AASHE (MA)
Many positive environmental policy gains are under threat across the country. Students who are motivated to take action are more important than ever. Over the last decade, DePauw University has …
- Posted April 12, 2018
- Videos & Webinars
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Enabling Divestment from Fossil Fuels: Characterizing Divestment Awareness and Support at Dalhousie University
- Dalhousie University (NS)
A team of students at Dalhousie University has come together to develop a comprehensive research report on the state of divestment from fossil fuels at their University. Divestment campaigns have …
- Posted April 11, 2018
- Publications
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Promoting Sustainability Science on Campus: Renewable Energy Workshops Hosted at Kean University in New Jersey
- Kean University (NJ)
The project provides workshops for high school/college students and educators to learn the basics, application, and impacts of renewable energy through hands-on activities and software tools. The workshops cover many …
- Posted April 3, 2018
- Case Studies
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Fall 2017 Immersive Learning: Brownfields to Brightfields
- Ball State University (IN)
With the support and facilitation of the Center for Energy Research/Education/Service (CERES) at Ball State University, a group of second year urban planning students in the College of Architecture and …
- Posted April 3, 2018
- Publications
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Students' Understanding of Sustainability and Climate Change across Linked Service-Learning Courses
- University of Vermont (VT)
College and university faculty are increasingly being called upon to teach about sustainability. Many of these faculty members are incorporating content related to climate change because climate change is arguably …
- Posted March 29, 2018
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Achieving Sustainability in the City of Winona, Minnesota (USA): A Case-Study
- Winona State University (MN)
The City of Winona is a small urban center (27,000 people) in southeastern Minnesota. Located along the Mississippi River, the city is nestled below steep bluffs that limit further urban …
- Posted March 29, 2018
- Publications
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Engaging Across Boundaries: The Power of Civic Engagement in Sustainability
- Pennsylvania State University (PA)
- Portland Community College (OR)
- AASHE (MA)
- Campus Compact (MA)
Speakers will offer an introduction to the broader concept of civic engagement and will share experiences, best practices, models and frameworks:
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in setting up a a multiple semester student engagement …
- Posted March 27, 2018
- Videos & Webinars
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Integrating Geoscience and Sustainability: Examining Socio-Techno-Ecological Relationships Within Content Designed to Prepare Teachers
- Arizona State University (AZ)
Coupling the study of sustainability with geoscience may enable students to explore science in a more sophisticated way by examining the social–technological–ecological relationships that exist between human–nonhuman and flora–fauna–land interactions. …
- Posted March 22, 2018
- Publications
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Impact of a Participatory Analysis of a Campus Sustainability Social Network: A Case Study of Emory University
- Emory University (GA)
Social network analysis makes visible the invisible connections and flows that underlie complex social relationships. Applied organizational researchers have used social network analysis to assess and improve organizational and leadership …
- Posted March 22, 2018
- Publications
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Sustainability and Civic Engagement: A Communications Engagement and Education Plan
- Bridgewater State University (MA)
Across the United States primarily on a town or city basis, the increasing public awareness and understanding of the detrimental impact of human activity on the environment is fostering the …
- Posted March 22, 2018
- Publications
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Higher education in the sustainable development goals framework
- UNESCO
Agenda 2030 for sustainable development focuses attention on lifelong learning opportunities for all. The new targets expand on their predecessors, the Millennial Development Goals, by both widening and deepening the …
- Posted March 12, 2018
- Publications
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Case Study: Using a Service-Learning Course to Reinforce the Three Pillars of Sustainability
- University of Mississippi (MS)
Service-learning courses at the university level provide a unique opportunity for students to learn about sustainability. The senior and graduate level elective course Service-Learning for Water Treatment at the University …
- Posted March 9, 2018
- Publications
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Universities and Conflict The Role of Higher Education in Peacebuilding and Resistance
This book uses a series of case studies to examine the roles played by universities during situations of conflict, peacebuilding and resistance.
While a body of work dealing with the …
- Posted March 9, 2018
- Publications
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Public-Public Partnerships for a New Paradigm in the Civic Role of the University
- California State University, Chico (CA)
Recognizing the need to proactively prepare engaged citizens for the dynamic socioeconomic and environmental conditions of the 21st century, the Institute for Sustainable Development at California State University (CSU), Chico, …
- Posted March 5, 2018
- Publications
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Exposing Students to Environmental Sustainability in Accounting: An Analysis of its Impacts in a U.S. Setting
- Illinois State University (IL)
- University of Northern Iowa (IA)
In this research study, we examine whether the introduction of two different forms of an environmental sustainability intervention into differing sections of an introductory-level managerial accounting course at a US …
- Posted March 5, 2018
- Publications
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Recovery and Reuse; On-Campus and Off
- Rochester Institute of Technology (NY)
Many of the challenges sustainability seeks to address can be challenging to visualize. Moreover, the scale of these challenges can stifle the motivation to act before one even begins. These …
- Posted March 5, 2018
- Case Studies
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Green Interview: Kimberly Smith, Director of Conferences and Events, AASHE
- AASHE (MA)
When Kimberly Smith began as director of conferences and events at the Association for the Advancement of Sustainability in Higher Education (AASHE), she already thought she was doing her part …
- Posted Feb. 28, 2018
- Publications
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Faculty Development for Advancing Community Engagement in Higher Education: Current Trends and Future Directions
- University of San Francisco (CA)
This research involved the conduct of a conceptual review of 28 refereed journal articles and a survey of campus centers for community engagement staff to identify salient features and trends …
- Posted Feb. 28, 2018
- Publications
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Climate Resilience Planning and Organizational Learning on Campuses and Beyond: A Comparative Study of Three Higher Education Institutions
- Boston University (MA)
- Cornell University (NY)
- Smith College (MA)
Higher education institutions around the world are confronting challenges associated with climate change, and many are trying to model practices that support climate change mitigation and resilience. This work initiates …
- Posted Feb. 28, 2018
- Publications
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Beacons, Not Towers: How Higher Education Can Help Achieve the Sustainable Development Goals
- United Nations University
Higher education is often idealized as a tool for implementing sustainable development. Yet the structures of higher education institutions (HEIs) often inhibit the types of problem solving and pedagogical design …
- Posted Feb. 22, 2018
- 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
- 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.