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Projects Updates for Education SWATeam

  1. Email to Resilience SWATeam re: Edu002 recommendation

    Hello Resilience SWATeam!

     

    I hope this message finds you well. In the spring, one Education SWATeam (Edu002) recommendation to the iCAP Working Group suggested developing a sustainable communities paid internship program for students, in partnership with local businesses, non-profits, local government agencies, and local community-based organizations. As the recommendation states, the program would be designed to provide student opportunities in the sustainability field to advance resiliency efforts in our region and help tackle challenges related to climate change.

     

    The iWG recommended including the Resilience SWATeam in discussions on how best to move this forward since it directly involves and relates to the community. We recognized that cities are interested in working with students though funding may be a potential barrier. Your input on this recommendation will be very helpful. What are your initial thoughts on this recommendation? Does this seem like a feasible project, and what would be needed to implement such a program? Meredith may schedule a meeting in the fall between the two SWATeams to discuss further, though in the meantime, please respond with your feedback.

     

    Thank you!
    Ximing Cai

    August 2, 2020

     

  2. Edu001 Environmental Leadership Program - Successful

    Dr. Evan DeLucia, Director of iSEE, responded to Meredith Moore with the following email: 

    ---

    Good morning, Meredith

    I’ve had a chance to review the iWG recommendations and discuss them with iSEE leadership. Both recommendations, the Environmental Leadership Program and Student Sustainability Ambassadors are creative, will provide students with new opportunities to engage in sustainability learning, and will have a positive impact on our iCAP goals.

    The iWG should be aware that we are launching test modules as part of the leadership program this fall semester. iSEE has hired a coordinator to develop several learning modules, likely full day programs, on topics such as ‘environmental communications’ and ‘effective interviewing strategies’. We will use these modules to recruit faculty into the program, build partnerships, evaluate financial expenses, and evaluate student interest. If all goes well, these modules will serve as the components of full program. Once we have a better sense of the curriculum, we can also initiate fund raising activities.

    The ambassadors program has real promise to advance campus’ iCAP goals and to more fully engage students in sustainability activities. That said, iSEE is not prepared to launch this program at this time. Not for lack of merit, but rather for lack of bandwidth. To properly launch the leadership program mentioned above is a significant undertaking and we want to make sure we do it well. While iSEE is not prepared to launch this program at this time, we will take an initial step to explore its viability by discussing the proposed course offering with NRES.

    Please extend my thanks to the iWG and the SWATeams for their dedication to making Illinois more sustainable.

    ---

    See transmittal of Edu001 Environmental Leadership Program to iSEE here.

    See iWG assessment of Edu001 Environmental Leadership Program here.

    See SWATeam recommendation and submittal of Edu001 Environmental Leadership Program here. 

     

     

  3. Edu005 Sustainable Scholars Program - Returned

    The Edu005 Sustainable Scholars Program recommendation was returned to the Education SWATeam on 6/9/2020. 

    Morgan White writes, "Thank you for submitting the attached Edu005: Sustainability Scholars Program recommendation to the iCAP Working Group! The iWG agrees that, conceptually, this is a good proposal, and we are appreciative of the time and effort of the team to develop this recommendation. A few questions arose out of the iWG meeting on April 27, and we would like them addressed in order to fully evaluate this recommendation.

    • How does the proposed Sustainability Scholars Program compare to the existing James Scholar Program?
    • What are the requirements to participate in the program? Who would qualify?
    • Who do you suggest would implement and oversee the program?

    Providing additional information to supplement this recommendation will help clarify details necessary for future discussions for implementation. Thank you for your effort!"

    See the submittal of the Edu005 Sustainable Scholars Program. The original recommendation is attached. 

  4. Edu001 Environmental Leadership Program - Transmitted

    Following the completion of the iWG assessment for Edu001 Environmental Leadership Program, the recommendation was transmitted to Evan DeLucia, Director of iSEE, on June 9, 2020.

    See iWG assessment Edu001 Environmental Leadership Program attached. 
    See SWATeam recommendation Edu001 Environmental Leadership Program

    Attached Files: 
  5. Edu003 Sustainability Career Fair - Transmitted

    Following the completion of iWG assessment for Edu003 Sustainability Career Fair, the recommendation was transmitted to Jennifer Neef, Director of the Career Center on June 3, 2020. 

     

    See iWG assessment of Edu003 Sustainability Career Fair attached. 

    See SWATeam recommendation Edu003 Sustainability Career Fair.

     

    Attached Files: 
  6. Edu005 Sustainable Scholars Program - Submitted

    The Education SWATeam made the following recommendation on 4/2/2020: 

    Develop a Sustainable Scholars Program (SSP), on the model of the existing popular and prestigious James Scholar program. Student recipients would enter the program as freshmen, choose a pathway of sustainability-themed courses across campus comparable to a minor, be eligible for priority registration times, and undertake extra honors-level assignments in these courses mentored by their professors-instructors. Oversight of the program to be provided by the Associate Director for Education at iSEE.

    Attached is the SWATeam recommendation Edu005 Sustainable Scholars Program with comments from the Education SWATeam.

  7. Edu004 Sustainability Unit in ENG100 - Submitted

    The Education SWATeam made the following recommendation on 4/2/2020: 

    Establish a sustainability unit for piloting through ENG100, which provides freshmen with initial exposure to the relationship between sustainability actions and their own course of study. Unit will consist of one week of lesson plans, taught by course undergraduate teaching assistants, including a variety of learning activities and discussions. iSEE will offer training to undergraduate teaching assistants through a short workshop on sustainability, and lesson plans/learning objectives will be developed by iSEE faculty to ensure appropriateness of material. After the pilot period, freshman sustainability units could be extended to additional colleges for incorporation into their own freshman programming.

    Attached is the SWATeam recommendation Edu004 Sustainability Unit in ENG100 with comments from the Education SWATeam.

  8. Edu003 Sustainability Career Fair - Submitted

    The Education SWATeam made the following recommendation on 4/2/2020: 

    The Sustainability Career Fair working group has the following tiered recommendations, which would grow the general program over three years, with event implementation beginning in the Spring of FY21:

    • Year 1: The Career Center would coordinate with various University colleges’ career fairs in Spring of FY21 to create an integrated Sustainability identity within existing career fairs. Initially, this would primarily target Environmental Sciences and Sustainability majors and minors, but eventually would include a broader base of colleges as we build awareness. In order to quantify the need for developing a Sustainability career fair, we recommend creating assessments in the Fall of FY21. These would determine the job market demand for Sustainability professionals along with establishing desired credentials for job applicants. A second assessment would target students with a Sustainability career focus to better understand their career goals and desired career path (government policy work at the local and State, and Federal level, applied science and coordination work within government, Not-For-Profits, corporations, start-ups, or higher education).
    • Year 2: The Career Center would continue promoting and coordinating a consistent Sustainability identity within individual colleges’ career fairs while adding a modest career fair of interested companies and partners in conjunction with the Fall 2021 ISEE Congress. We recommend starting one paid internship through the Career Center, partnering with ISEE, the LAS Life + Career Design Lab and ACES Career Services to help organize and promote the event. Other student volunteers would assist with planning and day-of event management.
    • Year 3: Grow the Sustainability Career Fair program to include the Year 1 and Year 2 events, and adding a larger stand-alone, comprehensive Campus-wide Sustainability Career Fair in February 2023, involving multiple University colleges (ACES, LAS, Grainger, Gies, FAA, etc.).

    Attached is the SWATeam recommendation Edu003 Sustainability Career Fair with comments from the Education SWATeam.

  9. Edu002 Internship Coordinator - Submitted

    The Education SWATeam made the following recommendation on 4/2/2020: 

    The Education SWATeam recommends developing a sustainable communities paid internship program in partnership with local businesses, non-profits, local government agencies, community-based agencies and cultural institutions in Central Illinois. 

     

    The internship program will be designed to build organizational capacity in the Champaign-Urbana / Central Illinois with regard to sustainability and resilience efforts to advance sustainable development and/or climate action goals. This program aims to allow students the flexibility to devise an internship experience that aligns with their specific interests within sustainability. Collaborations between the University and Champaign-Urbana community can be taken advantage of as projects where internships can be generated.

     

    The student interns will be involved in sustainability and community resilience efforts with directed emphasis toward sustainable development goals. Interns will gain real-world, project-based, and pre-professional experience in a workplace setting anywhere from 3 months (summer intern) to 1 year. 

     

    The intern program will also be tasked to provide leadership training as a foundation for real-world, project-based, and pre-professional experiences. Existing campus resources such as leadership development training modules available through Student Union programming should be utilized.

    Attached is the SWATeam recommendation Edu002 Internship Coordinator with comments from the Education SWATeam.

  10. Edu001 Environmental Leadership Program - Submitted

    The Education SWATeam made the following recommendation on 4/2/2020: 

    Develop an Environmental Leadership Program (ELP), for undergraduates and Masters’ students. ELP will comprise two week-long intensives, one in Fall and a Washington DC trip during Spring Break, exposing students to environmental governance at local, state, and federal tiers. Also includes pre-professional training, and speaker seminars during the academic year.

    Attached is the SWATeam recommendation Edu001 Environmental Leadership Program with comments from the Eductation SWATeam.

  11. 2019 SWATeam Kickoff with Attached Power Point

    Good afternoon!

     

    It was wonderful meeting many of you at the iWG and SWATeam Kick Off event yesterday afternoon. Thank you so much for attending and for your participation. It will be a great year and your efforts are very much appreciated. Please find the slides and handout attached, and be sure to reach out if you have any questions.

     

    As a reminder, Sarthak Prasad from the Transportation team mentioned that it would be helpful if you could take this short bike survey.

     

    Thank you again for your hard work and dedication to making our campus a more sustainable place! I look forward to meeting with you in the near future.

     

    Meredith

     

    --

    Meredith Moore

    Sustainability Programs Coordinator

    Institute for Sustainability, Energy, and Environment (iSEE)

    University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign

    1101 W. Peabody, Urbana, Suite 338 (NSRC)

    217-333-0119

     

    [Power Point from Kickoff is attached, RC]

  12. SWATeam Welcome Message

    Dear SWATeam members,  We are so happy to welcome you to the FY20 SWATeams, including Energy, Land and Water, Zero Waste, Transportation, Education, and the new Resilience Working Advisory Team (RWAT).  SWATeams are an important part of our overall Illinois Climate Action Plan (iCAP) efforts, and we truly appreciate your assistance and support

     

    In 2014, iSEE worked with the Office of the Chancellor to develop the formal sustainability procedures to support the Carbon Commitment.  These procedures established the SWATeams, the iCAP Working Group (iWG), and the Sustainability Council.  In 2018 Chancellor Jones and the Mayors of Urbana and Champaign signed a Resilience Proclamation, so RWAT is the newest part of our SWATeam process.  We are currently working on an update to the iCAP procedures document. We’re also updating the 2015 iCAP plan to the new 2020 iCAP, and FY20 SWATeams will contribute to such an important milestone of iCAP!

     

    For both returning and new SWATeam members, here are a few things to expect in the coming weeks:

    • iSEE Director Evan DeLucia will be sending a formal charge letter for each team.
    • iSEE Sustainable Programs Coordinator Meredith Moore is training the new SWATeam clerks and graduate assistant, Regina Cassidy.  Then the SWATeam clerks will contact you to schedule three full team meetings this semester, one in September, October, and November.
    • The SWATeam pages on iSEE have been updated, and we will be updating the iCAP Portal pages.
    • We will send you a schedule for the 2020 iCAP development, with specific timelines for the SWATeams to draft specific, measurable objectives for the 2020 iCAP.
    • You will receive an invitation to the SWATeam kick-off event, hosted by iSEE in September.

    As mentioned above, this year will be highly focused on drafting the 2020 Illinois Climate Action Plan iCAP.  Each of the SWATeams will be asked to recommend specific, measurable objectives for the 2020 iCAP.  To help facilitate this effort, the two of us, as co-chairs of iWG, will both be attending each full SWATeam meeting in September, October, and November.  The actual iCAP chapters will be written by members of the iWG and iSEE staff, based on the input received from SWATeams and campus, for review by the iWG.  In Spring 2020, there will be campus and community review of the draft chapters, and the SWATeams will be included as key stakeholders in that review process. Ultimately, the 2020 iCAP with a chapter for each SWATeam, and additional related chapters will be formally submitted to the Sustainability Council for campus approval.

     

    The University is committed to being carbon neutral as soon as possible, and no later than 2050, and to bolstering our community’s resilience to the impacts of climate change. SWATeams play a key role to achieve those goals. We thank you for your willingness to assist in the efforts that will make us a model of sustainability for the nation. Thank you for your time, your enthusiasm and your continuous efforts!

     

    Sincerely,

     

    Ximing Cai and Morgan White

    iCAP Working Group, co-chairs

     

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