The TRU Environment and Sustainability Office has just completed a successful pilot of its Sustainability Ambassadors Program with three campus offices/departments: Institutional Planning and Analysis, Human Resources, and Adventure Studies (see testimonials below), and now we’re ready to expand it around campus. We’re looking for twelve new offices/departments to get involved by having one ‘sustainability champion’ from each office/department join the program.
Sustainability Ambassadors Program Summary:
Sustainability Ambassadors help spread the ‘spirit of sustainability’ at TRU by being a force for change and improving the culture of sustainability. Ambassadors are TRU staff or faculty members, and they become the ‘sustainability champions’ of their offices/departments/work areas, and help to communicate to their work-mates the initiatives being promoted. Participation is during paid work time and involves 4 hours/month. Ambassadors can choose between three sustainability toolkits: Zero Waste, Energy Conservation, and Sustainable Printing & Going Digital (more toolkits will be developed, for example Transportation and Food & Beverage). The program is focused on increasing participation in, and support for, sustainability practices and behaviours, whether new or existing, big or small.
The program is coordinated through the TRU Sustainability Office, which organizes quarterly meetings and offers training and on-going support (this training can be used towards professional development opportunities). The program will be launched campus-wide in preparation for the 2016/2017 school year.
Please consider joining us for this great new program!
Testimonials:
“The Sustainability Ambassadors Program is a great eye opener as to how the environment is impacted by our everyday decisions in the work place. The Program not only gave us more awareness of the importance of sustainability, but also opportunities to brainstorm solutions for sustainable practices and behaviours across campus.”
Amanda Waymark, TRU Human Resources
“My involvement in the Sustainability Ambassador was very rewarding. Though we are a pretty sustainable group in IPA there was ways for us become more sustainable which I learned as an ambassador. It felt great to work together as a group with the Sustainability office to come up with ideas that could benefit the campus and ultimately Mother Earth.”
Karen Moore, TRU Institutional Planning and Analysis
Please contact program coordinator James Gordon at jgordon@tru.ca if you have any questions or would like to join the program.
