Education for Sustainability (EfS)

Sustainability for staff: what you can do

Find out how you can get involved with sustainability – from curriculum reviews to green events – as a staff member at ARU.

The Green Heron audit

This is a collaborative initiative by the Planetary and Population Health Research Group and the Education for Sustainability (EfS) team, aimed at transforming our curriculum.

The Green Heron audit empowers students to adapt the Planetary Health Report Card to evaluate key courses. So far these courses have included BSc (Hons) Public Health BSc, MSc Occupational Therapy, MSc Physiotherapy, and MBChB Medicine.

Our students have become passionate advocates for embedding sustainability in the curriculum. They critically evaluate their courses against a matrix, develop new resources related to planetary health and sustainability. These are then set out in a report to embed into the course for next year's cohort.

Students gain a host of skills including research, critical evaluation, communication, presentation, collaboration, and professionalism. These not only boost their employability, but prepare them for roles in sustainability and beyond.

The Green Heron audit gives students a sense of ownership over their sustainability research and a deeper understanding of planetary health and their industry.

We hope to expand the Green Heron audit across all ARU's faculties.

Organise a green event

Are you passionate about sustainability and eager to make a difference in your faculty? The Education for Sustainability team is here to support you.

Contact us on [email protected] to:

  • organise green events
  • launch impactful projects
  • start new sustainability initiatives.

Together, let's create a greener, more sustainable campus and curriculum. Reach out to us today and be part of the change!

Become a Champion for Sustainability

We are looking for staff to volunteer as faculty Champions for Sustainability.

This role is crucial in driving our sustainability initiatives and fostering a culture of environmental responsibility within our community.

You will:

  • raise sustainability issues: bring important sustainability topics to the forefront at faculty meetings
  • collate feedback: gather and synthesize feedback from staff to improve our sustainability practice/curriculum
  • be a point of contact: serve as the go-to person for sustainability-related queries from both staff and students
  • drive passion: inspire and motivate your faculty to engage in sustainable practices and initiatives.

Why volunteer?

As a Champion for Sustainability you can:

  • make an impact: play a key role in shaping the future of sustainability at our University
  • collaborate: work with like-minded individuals who share your passion for the environment
  • develop skills: enhance your leadership, communication, and organisational skills.

Join our Community of Practice

We're dedicated to fostering a collaborative environment for staff members who are interested in embedding sustainability into their curriculum or would like to start a sustainability initiative with their students.

We offer regular online meetings, a resource hub, discussion forums and a supportive community.

Whether you want to gain more knowledge about good practices or share your experiences, our Community of Practice is here to support you.