Here are some practical projects carried out by universities:
• Reuse‐Repair Cafes. Collecting and redistributing household goods within the student body has a huge demand. University of Stirling found that when they started charging a low price for items the project was more successful, as people tended to feel uncomfortable taking them if they were free
• Climate Action focused training such as
Carbon Conversations leads people
to becoming more engaged
• Food growing ‐ institutions
usually have lots of land.
Key is to unlock this in a
way that is “safe” to the
institution. Tiny gardens
associated with
departments/residences
work well
• Veg bags or collective
food purchasing - good
food at good prices feeds
community.
• Skillshare ‐ practical skills
for life. Fixing bicycles in
particular seems to be a powerful
‘hook’ for some people
• Waste ‐ low carbon cooking and
waste reduction
• Travel - encourage cycling, car-sharing,
local holidaying, etc.
• Local economy - LETS schemes, local currencies
Maintaining small
operating surpluses is a
great way to use one project to
kick-start another. In St Andrews, the Veg Bag made a £1 profit on each bag. This money went back into organising 2-3 community dinners per year. These were some of the best events I was ever involved with in St Andrews, entirely self-funded
In many cases there are financial and regulatory requirements driving more practical changes around water and energy use, but encouraging people to develop sustainable behaviours such as cycling or switching lights off often requires a different approach.
• Is it campus‐based or integrated into a town?
• What are the main areas of study?
• Is the institution research intensive or focused on supporting students in vocational programmes?
• Are students mainly local or international?
• What kind of careers are students aiming at?
• What gets people (and your coordinating group!) excited?
• What are the cultural • backgrounds and skill sets of people involved?
• What do people most want to do?
• What are strategic priorities and what are immediate opportunities?
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