WSU Goes Green

Education and Outreach
The WSU Education/Community Outreach subcommittee of the Climate Commitment committee is charged with exploring and developing sustainable educational opportunities for the WSU community, as well as fostering community partnerships to augment the overall goal of reducing the university's carbon footprint and serving as an example to other organizations, businesses and educational institutions.
Early initiatives of the WSU Education/Community Outreach subcommittee include developing a catalog of existing university courses with connections to sustainability and administering a student survey to get a baseline read of knowledge about and attitudes toward sustainability on campus. (The group plans to survey employees in fall 2008.)
During New Student Orientation Week in August 2008 the subcommittee hosted a panel discussion on the growing numbers of job opportunities in sustainable fields. The panel, "Green Collar Jobs: Saving the Planet While You Work," featured Anne Morse from Winona County Environmental Services, Kate Worley from Minnesota Waste Wise, Pete Sandberg from St. Olaf College, Kurt Hohenstein--Director of the WSU Paralegal Program, and WSU Career Services.
In spring 2009, the subcommittee plans to host a speaker series in collaboration with the "Our Drinking Fountains, Our Water" project and the Frozen River Film Club. The subcommittee is also considering pursuing the establishment of an honor cord for WSU graduates who achieve certain academic and service goals relating to sustainability.

Useful Links:
Association for the Advancement of Sustainability in Higher Education
United Nations Decade of Education for Sustainable Development

Last Modified: Tuesday, October 28, 2008 13:33