Go Green and Beyond

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Go Green and Beyond -- Robyn Blumberg, Jordan Longert, Elana Reinholtz, Amira Mintz-Morgenthau

Although sustainability education in Orientation activities has increased over the past few years, GO GREEN & Beyond develops this type of programming to a new level.

The goal of Getting Orientation GREEN (GO GREEN) & Beyond is to implement a more environmentally friendly Mid-Year Orientation starting January 2011. By reaching out to the incoming students prior to, during, and after Orientation, GO GREEN & Beyond is designed to get students excited about the amazing environmental opportunities and resources at Brandeis and inspire them to practice environmentally friendly habits throughout their entire college experience! GO GREEN & Beyond will serve as a pilot program to incorporate in all new future student orientations.

Program Elements:

Educational

  • Eco-tour: GO GREEN & Beyond is expanding the conventional orientation campus tour. By successfully training Mid-Year Mentors and leaders around campus, we were able to have every midyear orientation group visit specific ‘green’ locations throughout campus. The students learned about some of the amazing environmental places around Brandeis, including the “no-mow” lawn, the porous pavement and it’s purpose, the new Mandel Humanities Center and the Solar Panels on Gosman Athletic Center.
  • Green Quiz: New students were encouraged to take the Green Quiz to learn about important campus sustainability initiatives (recycling, energy conservation…etc). A list of environmental resources was provided to students so they could begin to take action around campus. Out of the 51 students that participated, eight winners were randomly selected for an assortment of Trader Joe’s prizes.

Logistical

  • Give & Go and Move-In-Market: As the Study Abroad students depart for their overseas adventures, they will leave behind unneeded belongings. Upon collection of these items during the give and go, a portion will be resold at the move-in market in January and reused by incoming Mid-Year students. Others will be donated to More Than Words, Bristol Lodge and Global Thrift Store in Waltham. Some of the proceeds from the Move-in-Market will be donated to the Emergency Financial Assistance Program at the WATCH Housing Advocacy Clinic.
  • Go Paperless with a USB flash drive: In the fall of 2010, GO GREEN & Beyond applied for a Brandeis Sustainability Fund for bamboo USB flash drives to give to each new student. The drives would include Orientation materials with the hope of minimizing unnecessary paper waste. Although the group did not receive BSF funding, GO GREEN & Beyond hopes to send a compressed zip file to each new student via email with these materials.

"Go Green and Beyond", Student Participants,

Robyn Blumberg, Jordan Longert, Elana Reinholtz, Amira Mintz-Morgenthau