2018 Campus Sustainability Month
Celebrate Campus Sustainability Month (CSM) this October by engaging and inspiring incoming students and other campus stakeholders to become sustainability leaders. The theme for this year’s CSM is Nonpartisan Engagement and the November Elections. Complementing Earth Day, CSM aims to provide campus sustainability advocates with a platform through which to deepen campus engagement around sustainability.
Three Days Left to Apply: Turning the Page on Campus Paper Use
Apply to be part of a new cohort of 10-12 institutions of higher education who will receive training and support to implement a behavior-based strategy to reduce paper use. This new cohort will focus specifically on campaigns to reduce the number of personal desktop printers, which AASHE and Root Solutions have identified as a high impact strategy for reducing costs and paper use. The deadline for applications is Sept. 7.
2018 GameDay Recycling Challenge
Colleges and universities across the U.S. and Canada can register for the GameDay Recycling Challenge, a friendly competition that promotes waste reduction at football games. The challenge is presented through a new partnership with National Wildlife Federation, and continued partnership with RecycleMania Inc, College & University Recycling Coalition (CURC), and U.S. EPA’s WasteWise program.
AASHE 2018 Workshop: Best Practices in Integrating Sustainability and Business Education
The focus of this half-day, post-conference workshop will be integrating the B Corp Impact Assessment framework into business curriculum while facilitating cross disciplinary engagement with non-business students and faculty. Impact Assessment frameworks help businesses identify and measure the material impacts their operations have on environmental and social resources. Participants will learn how to implement their own integration activities. This workshop will be presented by Tammy Kowalczyk and Jessica Thomas from Appalachian State University.
AASHE 2018 Workshop: Key Competencies in Sustainability: Curriculum and Program Development
This half-day, post-conference workshop will explore questions for the field of sustainability in higher education related to key competencies in sustainability degree programs. Workshop participants will share the learning outcomes of their courses/curricula and compare these with each others and with key competencies in sustainability. The workshop aims to identify lessons learned for the future development of key competencies in sustainability and formulate next steps, including what would be useful support structures for institutions to support development and administration of sustainability programs in the field. It will be presented by Ira Feldman with the Sustainability Curriculum Consortium, and Katja Brundiers, Christopher Boone and Rod Parnell at Northern Arizona University.
ISSP CEUs By Attending the 2018 AASHE Conference & Expo
The International Society of Sustainability Professionals offers continuing education units (CEUs) to those attending or presenting sessions, workshops, tours and/or evening events at AASHE 2018, happening in Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania, from Oct. 2-5. Up to two CEUs can be earned by attending the conference. Additional CEUs can be earned by attending a workshop, tour and/or evening event. The last day to register online is Sept. 17.
Call for Contributions: Environmental Education for Sustainability
The journal Sustainability is curating a special issue titled Environmental Education for Sustainability that intends to document and promote scholarly research and projects that show how environmental education can help the implementation of sustainability efforts. Emphasis will be given to both formal and non-formal education, as well as to innovative teaching methods, inclusive approaches and transformative processes that may lead to a better interaction between environmental education and sustainable development. The deadline for manuscripts is April 10.
Project Green Challenge 2018
Taking place Oct. 1-31, Project Green Challenge 2018 invites college students to participate in 30 days of sustainability-themed challenges. Each day of the challenge, 20 prize packages will be awarded to participants. Up to 16 finalists will be flown to San Francisco to attend a four-day eco-summit in late November.
Call for Applications: Turning the Page on Campus Paper Use
AASHE invites applications from institutions to join a cohort of 10 to 12 AASHE members that will receive in-depth training, guidance and tools to implement a behavior-based paper saving program on their campus. This new cohort will focus specifically on campaigns to reduce the number of personal desktop printers, which is a particularly high impact strategy for reducing costs and paper use. Representatives of these institutions will participate in an in-person training at the 2018 AASHE Conference and Expo. Participants will receive ongoing support to refine, implement and evaluate their campaigns. Applications are due by Sept. 7.
AASHE 2018 Workshop: To Rise, We Need Critical Conversations About ‘Unsustainable’ Race, Class & Gender Privilege
This half-day, post-conference workshop is designed to help participants dive more deeply into the complicated and often fraught conversation about race, class and gender privilege in the service of developing more collaborative campus sustainability efforts. In addition to setting a shared understanding of how systems of oppression work and their impacts on climate change, environmental issues and sustainability work, this session identifies the unconscious and unintentional ways race, class and gender privilege thwart collective sustainability work on campuses. Participants will learn ways to interrupt and dismantle these privileged dynamics and connect this social justice work to campus sustainability efforts. This workshop will be presented by Heather Hackman of Hackman Consulting Group.
AASHE 2018 Student Summit Registration Ends Soon
The Student Summit on Oct. 2 at the 2018 AASHE Conference & Expo is a platform for student sustainability leaders to network with hundreds of other like-minded students from around the globe. Attendees will learn change-maker strategies for their campuses and communities and have the opportunity to connect with professional organizations and activist networks that can amplify their efforts and provide ongoing support. Garrett Blad, currently executive coordinator of SustainUS, is the keynote speaker. The last day to register online for the Student Summit is Sept. 17.
NWEI Campus EcoChallenge
The Campus EcoChallenge led by Northwest Earth Institute is a campus engagement tool that encourages behavior change toward sustainable action. With nine categories to choose from, including a "create your own", the dashboard allows participants to track their progress and connect with other participants. Registration begins Aug. 15.
Call for Submissions: Safety Culture in Makerspaces and EHS Sustainability
The Campus Safety, Health, and Environmental Management Association (CSHEMA) Symposia encourages submissions to its upcoming event in Atlanta, from Nov. 13-14, focused on developing a safety culture in makerspaces and ensuring campus sustainability initiatives and sustainable spaces are founded in strong Environmental Health and Safety (EHS) practices and principles. EHS professionals, sustainability professionals, faculty, staff and students can submit sessions through Aug.17.
AASHE 2018 Workshop: Leverage Your Renewable Energy Impact Through Emerging Avoided Emissions PPA Strategies
This half-day, pre-conference workshop on Oct. 2 delves into renewable energy partnerships by examining the contemporary methods for reducing an institution’s greenhouse gas emissions using renewable energy procurement. In addition to hearing about how Boston University successfully worked with both private and academic partners to choose a renewable energy project, participants will review carbon emission accounting practices including traditional and marginal emission approaches using data synthesized by researchers at Carnegie Mellon University. The workshop will be presented by Dennis Carlberg and Casey Kelly at Boston University; Inês Azevedo at Carnegie Mellon University; Christen Blum at Edison Energy; and Gavin McCormick with WattTime.
2018 Tobacco-Free Grants for MSIs, & Community & Womens' Colleges
Truth Initiative is accepting applications for its Tobacco-Free College Program, which offers grants of up to $20,000 to women’s colleges, minority-serving academic institutions and community colleges to adopt a 100 percent tobacco-free-college policy. The deadline to apply is September 13.
Projects That Matter Platform
Projects That Matter is a free nonprofit website connecting practitioners, students, faculty and volunteers with real world sustainable development projects. Researchers and practitioners can register their projects, and students and volunteers can search the database for course projects, independent study, thesis, capstone, and alternative assignments and activities. The platform is an initiative of the U.S. Partnership for Education for Sustainable Development in collaboration with Changing the Present.
Academic Bicycle Challenge
The Academic Bicycle Challenge is for college and university staff, faculty and students to track their cycled miles for a chance to appear on one of eight different leaderboard types. The competition will reveal a global comparison of cycling activities between universities, academic disciplines, self-generated teams and individuals.
AASHE 2018 Workshop: Develop Your Toolkit for Sustainability Communication
This half-day, pre-conference workshop will explore how communications plays an increasingly important role as we rise to the challenge to reach the global Sustainable Development Goals. Learn how to create a communications strategy, discover best practices and get the tools to create a strong communications strategy to promote your sustainability initiatives. It will be presented by Pamela Gramlich at Colgate University; Nathan Jandl at University of Wisconsin-Madison, and Lisa Nicolaison at Princeton University.
Divest Invest Network Global Press Event
Any school that is planning on, or close to a decision on, divesting from fossil fuels is encouraged to participate in a coordinated publicity push and press event organized by Divest Invest Network. The press event will be in coordination with the Global Climate Action Summit taking place on Sept. 12-14.
AASHE 2018 Workshop: Catch: A Face-to-Face Simulation Game for Teaching About Sustainability & Resource Management
This half-day, pre-conference workshop will introduce Catch, a face-to-face systems dynamic simulation game focused on resource management. Catch responds to the need for new, core-competency based pedagogical resources for teaching about the challenges of transformative change and the forms of learning that are necessary to meet the U.N. Sustainable Development Goals. In this session, attendees will play a full game, debrief and discuss game management so that they are prepared use Catch on their own campuses. This workshop will be presented by Harold Glasser and Isaac Green at Western Michigan University.
AASHE Mentorship Program
As a benefit of AASHE membership, the Mentorship Program connects sustainability staff and faculty with peers to share knowledge, collaborate on projects and advance the field of higher education sustainability. Participants can expect a semi-structured process that facilitates ongoing collaboration between mentors and mentees, who will be matched based on desired goals, relevant experience and overall expertise. Apply to be a mentor or mentee by Aug. 24.
Ashoka U Summer Webinar Series
The summer webinar series offered by Ashoka U will touch on change-making trends from the field, best practices, glimpses into top models from Ashoka's Changemaker Campuses, considerations for building a Change Team, and the future of field-building. The webinars are July 26, and Aug. 1 and 8.
2018 Climate Leadership Awards
Offered in partnership with the U.S. Green Building Council, Second Nature's Climate Leadership Awards recognize innovation and leadership in climate action, including mitigation and resilience at signatory campuses of the Presidents’ Climate Leadership Commitments. In addition to three new award categories, Student Preparedness, Climate Innovation, and Cross-Sector Collaboration, one two-year institution and one four-year institution will be selected as the overall winner. Applications are due Sept. 20.
2018 AASHE Conference Tours & Evening Events
Tours and evening events give participants the opportunity to see sustainability projects on local campuses, visit sustainability-related attractions in the community and learn more about the city with other conference attendees. Tours and events this year include Carnegie Mellon University’s Tepper Quad Facility; the Phipps Conservatory and Botanical Gardens; Chatham University’s Eden Hall; and the University of Pittsburgh’s urban campus in Oakland.
AASHE 2018 Workshop: Organizing a Campus-Community Resilience Building Workshop
This half-day pre-conference workshop will train participants in how to organize and facilitate a community resilience building workshop. A community resilience building workshop is a community-driven process that aims to equitably improve resilience to natural and climate-related hazards. This how-to workshop will be presented by Ruby Woodside at Second Nature and Adam Whelchel at The Nature Conservancy.
Call for Presentations: Sustainability and Development Conference
A collaboration between the University of Michigan and the journal World Development, this international conference seeks to bring together diverse and interdisciplinary stakeholders to engage with the best approaches to implement the Sustainable Development Goals and assess progress towards them. The conference is Nov. 9-11, at the University of Michigan. The deadline for conference submissions is July 22. Free registration is available to a limited number of undergraduates. Selected students will be paired with a senior researcher whose work best aligns with the student's interests.
AASHE Member Discount: $100 Off Sustainability Certification Through ISSP
The International Society of Sustainability Professionals (ISSP) offers students, faculty and staff from AASHE-member schools a $100 discount on the ISSP Sustainability Associate (ISSP-SA) credential exam. The program is designed to recognize the knowledge, skills and abilities of those in the sustainability field, including students with knowledge of core sustainability concepts.
AASHE 2018 Workshop: Rising to Meet the Challenge of 100% Renewable Energy
This pre-conference, half-day workshop will cover a portfolio of approaches that can be part of a comprehensive renewable energy strategy including on-campus and community solar, off-site projects, aggregation, and academic integration. Providing a process for campuses to identify strategies, the workshop will assist participants in outlining key considerations appropriate to their institution's size, location and energy context. This workshop is presented by Christen Blum at Edison Energy, Ryan McPherson at University at Buffalo, Rob Andrejewski at University of Richmond, and Dennis Carlberg at Boston University.
AASHE 2018 Workshop: Biophilic Design Principles: Green Infrastructure, Nature, Harmony and Resilience
This pre-conference, half-day workshop will explore the principles of the Biophilic Effect, a psychological phenomenon that describes humans’ need be in natural environments. Using the principles of biophilia, participants will learn about approaches to architecture that connect building occupants more closely to nature through infrastructure such as vegetative roofs and walls, bioswales and infiltration gardens, and low impact development projects. The workshop will be presented by Joanne Rodriguez with GreenStructure, Ltd, and Mary Ann Uhlmann with Urban Horticulture Consulting.
2019 Online Certificate on Education for Sustainable Development: Registration Open
This five-month, online program is designed to provide participants with the understanding, knowledge and skills to integrate education for sustainable development and education for global citizenship into curricula. It contributes to Sustainable Development Goals 4, target SDG 4.7. Offered January through July 2019, the program is through the Earth Charter Center for Education for Sustainable Development at the University for Peace in Costa Rica. A 10 percent registration discount is offered through Nov. 16.
AASHE 2018 Workshop: Creating an Ecologically Restorative, Socially Just, and Culturally Rich Campus
Using the Living Building Challenge and the Living Community Challenge as a framework, this pre-conference, half-day workshop will offer a program overview of the philosophy, structure, intent, requirements and certification pathways, and will describe how the two programs create a comprehensive approach to facility and campus planning. Additionally, the session will cover how these programs support AASHE STARS goals and U.N. Sustainable Development Goals. Attendees can expect to understand how using these systems together creates a roadmap for designing, constructing and operating a vibrant, healthy and sustainable campus that supports the mission of the institution, the values of the campus community, and the education of the next generation of leaders. The workshop is presented by Kathleen Smith and Alicia Daniels Uhlig with the International Living Future Institute.
AASHE 2018 Workshop: Applied Learning: Interventions for Sustainability Impacts
This pre-conference, half-day workshop aims to empower staff and faculty who are involved in building and/or growing applied learning programs at their institution. Workshop participants will review techniques for building successful applied learning programs. Then, working through a series of five steps, participants will design a specific plan for their institution. The session will be presented by Katja Brundiers at Arizona State University, Fletcher Beaudoin at Portland State University, Caroline Savage at Princeton University and Rachelle Haddock at University of Calgary.
AASHE 2018 Workshop: Advancing Carbon Pricing at your Institution
This full-day pre-conference workshop will explore how schools can engage with carbon pricing. The first half of the workshop will provide background on the theory and economics of carbon pricing, and will explore case studies. The second half will focus on ways participants can engage their institutions in carbon pricing work. It will be presented by Nathaniel Graf and Aurora Winslade at Swarthmore College, Casey Pickett at Yale University, and Alex Barron at Smith College.
AASHE 2018 Workshop: Resilience Bootcamp: Turning Threats into Opportunities
Designed to complement Second Nature’s “Organizing a Campus-Community Resilience Building Workshop”, this pre-conference, half-day workshop will provide guidance on best practices in the planning, design and evaluation of resilience projects. It will use Rochester Institute of Technology’s recently updated Climate Action Plan as a case study. It will be presented by Enid Cardinal and Jennifer Schneider at Rochester Institute of Technology, Ryan Kmetz at St. Lawrence University, and Ruby Woodside at Second Nature.
