Internships to Implement Institutional Change: Sustainability on a Shoestring

1. Internships to Implement Institutional Change: Sustainability on a Shoestring Chad King, Assistant Professor of Environmental Science David Woolf, Student Intern Heather Hardman, Student Intern Ohio Dominican University

2. Overview • From ad hoc to interns • Accomplishments • Applied learning • Struggles • Conclusions

3. From ad hoc to Interns

4. Ad hoc Sustainability committee • Faculty • Food service • IT • Adult programs • Student Life • Study Abroad • Facilities • Students

10. Limitations

14. Ad hoc Sustainability committee • Faculty • Food service • IT • Adult programs • Student Life • Study Abroad • Facilities • Students

15. Solution = Students

17. Target: Majors with Internship Requirements • Political Science with Environmental Focus • Environmental Science • Environmental Studies • Hourly requirement for credit • One work study position

18. Goals for Internships • Build skills • Communication, collaboration, planning, leadership • Increase understanding of institutions • Provide stepping stone to community internships • Engage students in authentic problem solving • Engage students in institutional sustainability efforts • Become change agents

19. Sustainability Interns • Recycling • Communication • Reporting • Education/New Programs

20. Recycling

21. Communication

22. Reporting

23. Education • Eco-rep programming • Residence assistants trainings • New employee trainings

24. New Programs • Research into requirements and potential for campus composting • Pilot program

25. Applied Learning • Opportunity to immerse students in building: • 21st century skills • habits of mind of effective learners • workplace skills

26. The enGauge 21st-Century Skills • Skills and proficiencies identified in literature, research, education, business, industry • Digital age literacy • Inventive thinking • Effective communication • High productivity Adapted from North Central Regional Education Laboratory

27. Habits of Mind • From research on effective thinkers… • Persisting • Listening to others with understanding and empathy • Thinking flexibly • Striving for accuracy and precision • Questioning and posting problems • Gathering data through all senses • Creating, imagining, and innovating • Taking responsible risks • Thinking interdependently • Learning continuously From A.L. Costa and B. Kallick, eds., Discovering and Exploring Habits of Mind

28. Identifying Skills:Project based learning outcomes • Communication • Speaking, presenting, writing, publishing • Technology • Literacy, use of software applications and other technology • Group Process • Delegating, teamwork, communication • Design • Planning, goal setting, use of criteria • Problem Solving and Critical Thinking • Task- and Self Management • Timeliness, organization Adapted from John Thomas

29. Secretary’s Commission on Achieving Necessary Skills • Workplace Skills • Productively utilize: • Resources • Interpersonal skills • Information • Systems • Technology • Foundation Competencies • Need: • Basic skills • Thinking skills • Personal qualities Adapted from What Work Requires of Schools: A SCANS Report for America 2000

30. Skills for Success in the Knowledge Age • Critical Thinking and Doing • Problem solving, research, project management • Creativity • New knowledge creation, “best fit” design • Collaboration • Cooperation, compromise, community building • Cross-Cultural Understanding • Diverse ethnic, knowledge and organizational cultures • Communication • Clear messages and effective use of a variety of media • Computing • Electronic information and tools • Career and Learning Self Reliance • Change, lifelong learning Adapted from Bernie Trilling and Paul Hood, Education Technology

31. Struggles • Persistence • Data gathering • Task and self-management • Communication and collaboration • Realities of institutional change • Patience • Complexity • Time management

32. Conclusions • 4 interns ≠ 1 sustainability coordinator • Require strong mentoring and scaffolding • Engage campus community • Develop student leaders • Further institutional sustainability efforts • Prepare students for future careers

33. Questions?