Breadcrumb
Resources
- The National Wildlife Fund EcoLeaders Resource Library: Geared towards students the library includes many resources including a project planning template and a project planning resources library
- Essential Project Design Elements: Seven design elements to help you design your project.
- Project Based Teaching Practices: Practices that can help you integrate project based learning into your classes.
- A Guide for Applied Sustainability Learning Projects: This guide provides a step-by-step framework for how a program for applied learning for sustainability can be designed, launched, and scaled.
Best Practices
Students
- Make contacts with staff as early as possible.(Not waiting until “last minute” to contact staff.
- Have requests for data that are well thought out. Ask for specific data.
- Take the project seriously and give it enough time and attention in order for it to be useful to staff and the campus community.
Faculty
- Make contacts with staff as early as possible.
- Coordinate with staff before the syllabus is finalized so that staff have plenty of time to plan and prepare for lectures/tours etc. and so that they can provide input on needed or applicable projects.
- Include projects that can be completed in one semester or that can be carried out the following semester so that projects do not go unfinished.
- Assigning projects that have staff input, coordination and guidance so that there aren’t requests for brainstorming and project generation from many students to the same staff.
- Providing adequate oversight when students are working “in the field” during class time on a project.
- Consistent communication with staff and students.
- Setting expectations for a high quality deliverable.
Staff
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Responding to faculty/student communication in a timely fashion.
Past Projects
- Indoor air quality monitoring in dorms
- Campus Building resilience study
- NH Museum collections protocol
- Air quality testing in Bear Creek Apartments
- Energy Conservation research with the Rec Center
- PWR classes creating Green Labs outreach campaigns
- Dining Services behavior research studies – plastic bags to Chico reusable bags to no bags
- Local and Natural food definitions research for Dining Services
- Food additives research project
- Developing Xeric planting identification visuals for use with English as Second Language grounds staff
- Designing and installing a pollinator-friendly beautifying pedestrian landscape
- A campus mosquito control project
- ENVD students designed a pop-up community parklet
- Emerald Ash Borer monitoring
- Electric vehicle inventory database development
- Redesigning parking lots on campus and on the hill
- Redesigning congested Bike/ped path outside Fiske
- CU Bus Tracker App
- Recycling research project with athletics
- Measuring behavior changes from altering recycling signage on campus
- Campus food packaging/waste study
- Educational outreach campaign on composting
Conceptual Projects
- Energy use studies in residence halls
- LEED v4 – Energy Star portfolio manager campus building data update
- Creating and conducting user surveys
- Educational displays research – what works
- Graphic Design – rebranding, signage, artwork, infographics
- Communications campaigns
- New product research - custodial, pesticide etc
- Insect pest studies, monitoring and sampling
- ISLE certification update for grounds
- Grounds innovations outreach/promotion campaign plan and materials
- Campus lighting and night safety studies
- Student representation on the Safer Pathways Committee
- Dismount Zone studies
- Waste stream contamination studies
- Waste audits