03.25.09 | We Want Your VOTE: Ideas for Inter-Campus Collaboration
We have been talking with students, staff, faculty, administrators, and regional partners about great ideas for inter-campus collaboration on climate change. From those conversations we’ve developed 6 ideas for inter-campus collaboration. Read through the ideas below and then VOTE HERE!
Idea 1: Mobility Pass
Idea 1 is to build on the U-Pass concept to transform transportation in our communities. The Mobility Pass concept builds on the U-Pass by providing students, staff and faculty with access to a network of sustainable transportation options. The network would build on the public transit system with things like “free-bikes” and carshare programs. The goal is to develop a sustainable transportation network that would provide better services than owning a private car and grow to include anyone from the community once the program matures.
Idea 2: Collaborative Problem-Based Education
Idea 2 is to develop a network of classes who learn by working together on practical climate solutions for their communities. A central question (such as “how can we make our community climate-neutral by 2050?) would be posed to each participating school and different classes could take on different aspects of that question. The results would then be compiled into accessible reports for their communities and the students would present their findings together at the end of the year.
Idea 3: Communication Network
Idea 3 is to create a shared communication network between institutional communications departments, campus organizations, and climate research groups. The communication network would get information about climate change issues and solutions to the public, share best practices for internal communication within campus, and provide a foundation for shared campus and community outreach programs.
Idea 4: Revolving Green Funds
Idea 4 is to establish and network revolving green funds to finance change. Revolving green funds provide up-front capital for projects and then fund new projects with the savings from older projects. Institutions can cooperate with one another to secure start-up funds, share technical support, and negotiate interest free or low-interest loans from the province for projects that would have mutual benefits. Finally, the institution could then provide a model for their communities, support the creation of community revolving green funds, and launch joint projects.
Idea 5: Urban Agricultural Co-ops
Idea 5 is to develop a network of urban agricultural coops across the province to transform food systems in our communities. Campuses have lots of land covered in grass that is just waiting to be turned into the seeds of urban agriculture. A network of urban agriculture coops could cultivate land on campus, provide local food through a community-supported box program, and work with the community to bring land throughout the region under cultivation. The coops could work together to secure funding for large projects such as in-vessel composting.
Idea 6: Collaborative Website
Idea 6 is to build a collaborative website to help schools plan climate change and sustainability action. A collaborative website, connecting students, staff, faculty, and regional partners, would help share best practices and save time. The website would also provide a forum for identifying and addressing shared challenges. To make sure the website servers all of the stakeholders it could be governed by a committee with representation from each group and a responsibility for asking their networks for guidance.
Posted by Jamie Biggar under Activism (shared)
(1 votes, average: 5.00 out of 5)
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