Tag Archive : Sustainability

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16 Academy Students to Participate in Sustainability Leadership Retreat

November 3, 2010 | News, People, Staff, Student Life, Students, WKU | No Comments

The Carol Martin Gatton Academy of Mathematics and Science in Kentucky has teamed up with WKU’s Center for Environmental Education and Sustainability(CEES) to bring Academy students a progressive retreat opportunity focused on sustainability leadership.

Sixteen Gatton Academy students have been selected to participate in the inaugural Sustainable Leadership Retreat, which is slated for Thursday-Saturday (Nov. 4-6) at Loucon Training and Retreat Center in Leitchfield.

The mission of the retreat is to foster the development of students’ ability to be sustainability leaders who choose to engage in the process of creating transformational change with others and aimed toward building a sustainable future. Students will also enjoy outdoor activities like zip lining, hiking, canoeing, and other activities that promote teamwork and leadership.

“We’re ‘taking it up a notch’ and getting the brightest minds engage with the global urgency and opportunity for sustainable development,” said Nancy Givens, Sustainability Programs Development Coordinator with the CEES.

As co-chair of the WKU Education for Sustainability Steering Committee, Givens worked with Tim Gott, director of the Academy and a member of the committee, to begin the process to make this first sustainability leadership retreat happen for the Academy.

Also, on board from the Gatton Academy is Assistant Residential Life Coordinator Melissa Schultz. Schultz served as a graduate intern for the CEES this past summer and helped to bring the idea of a sustainability leadership retreat to life.

“Through various seminars, activities, clubs and programs, we have worked closely with academy students on developing leadership skills and making decisions with both the environment and people in mind,” Schultz said. “The retreat is an outstanding way to seamlessly connect these messages. I think the retreat will be a memorable and educational experience for everyone.”

This retreat is truly a collaborative effort as WKU staff and faculty have donated their time to share a message of leadership and sustainability.

“We hope this retreat will serve not only our students but also inspire more education across campus, state, and nation around the topic of sustainable leadership,” Schultz said.

Throughout the retreat, students will engage in various interactive discussions and activities on topics like environmental law, leadership theory in practice, building a sustainable community, and defining the meaning and practice of sustainability.

Sydney Combs, a Gatton Academy senior from London and Green Club co-president, described sustainable practices as “taking responsibility for our actions and everyday habits with the future in mind.”

Students will work to make that potential future a reality through a variety of featured workshop sessions with experts in leadership and sustainability at WKU:  John Baker, Education Coordinator from the Office of Leadership Excellence; Dr. John All, Department of Geography and Geology; Christian Ryan-Downing, Sustainability Coordinator from the Office of Sustainability; Cristin Lanham, WKU Recycling Coordinator; Terry Shoemaker, Program Coordinator for the Institute for Citizenship and Social Responsibility; andNadia Denov De Leon, Community Engagement Coordinator of the WKU ALIVE Center for Community Partnerships.

Also joining the roster of session leaders are members of CDP Engineering, a Kentucky enterprise committed to sustainable practices in business and industry. Lewis Newton, chief executive officer, and Scott Southall, Vice President of Landscape Architecture and Planning Group Manager, will discuss the physical manifestation of green design and explore holistic approaches to community design and redevelopment.

The Gatton Academy has sought to cultivate students’ interests in sustainability across the program’s living and learning environments. A variety of programmatic opportunities have assisted students in learning more about green initiatives while also putting those ideas into practice. The Gatton Academy Green Club has participated in a local sinkhole clean-up, reduced their waste through a “Bring Your Own Cup” program during academy social events, and piloted building-wide recycling initiatives in Schneider Hall.

Tejas Sangoi, a Gatton Academy senior from Owensboro and Green Club co-president, views the decision to adopt sustainability practices as a choice that affects not only the individual but others as well.  “To me, sustainability is living a balanced life in which you only use the resources that you need so that they will be conserved for future generations,” Sangoi said. “Being a sustainable leader is important because by demonstrating and leading a sustainable lifestyle, you are inspiring others in the community to do the same.”

Contact: Melissa Schultz, (270) 745-4755.

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By Corey Alderdice

Choate Presents Sustainability Recommendations to Bowling Green City Commission

November 18, 2009 | Academics, News, WKU | No Comments

Other individuals also share Thomas passion for sustainability.
Other individuals also share Thomas' passion for sustainability, as noted in this earlier photo.

As cities move toward the future in an era of declining budgets, limited resources, and high demands for services, sustainability indicators is a tool some cities are using to set goals and assess progress toward building a more healthy and sustainable community.

Thomas Choate (Warren ’10), a student at the Gatton Academy of Mathematics and Science in Kentucky at Western Kentucky University, realizes the time for action is now.

After spending the summer conducting applied research under the supervision of Nancy Givens, Sustainability Programs Development Coordinator with the WKU Center for Environmental Education and Sustainability, Choate was invited to share his findings before the Bowling Green City Commission on October 20, 2009.

The presentation of this work to the Commission was arranged through City Manager Kevin DeFebbos.

Sustainability indicators recognize the essential links between the economic, social, and environmental aspects of a community, and are used to identify problem areas and develop solutions that impact all areas. For example, poor air quality (environmental) may affect asthma rates (social) and worker productivity (economic).

By improving air quality, cities can positively impact social and economic factors in the community as well. Within a sustainability framework “development is about improving aspects of the community and the environment that contains that community without detrimental effects to other aspects; it is not about growth beyond our means or growth at the expense of others or our environment,” said Choate.

Important criteria for sustainability indicators as identified Choate are that they be relevant to the community, easy to use by all members of the community, repeatedly measurable, and relevant to recent developments and available quickly enough that action to address change is possible.

Sustainability indicators may focus on education, healthcare, employment, environment, population, and transportation goals, among others. Some examples of sustainability indicators that have been used by other cities are ‘ratio of parks to population’ (per capita green space), ‘proportion of recycled materials diverted from landfill’, and ‘ratio of the average cost of a single family home to median household income’.

From his research, Choate concluded that The City of Bowling Green and the surrounding community should consider adopting goals toward a sustainable community and indicators to measure progress towards these goals; that by incorporating existing information and collecting new information, we can establish baselines for many factors which we may seek to improve through directed efforts in the future; and, that if the City doesn’t do so, it may find itself not taking full advantage of the opportunities it has to develop economically, environmentally, and socially for its citizens.

Even though Choate is sharing his findings, he realizes there is still a tremendous amount of work ahead.

“I intend to continue my work on sustainability indicators for the local area with the WKU Center for Environment Education and Sustainability,” Choate noted. “The next step toward Bowling Green adopting sustainability indicators is developing with the City Commissioners and other members of the   community a set of indicators that will be relevant and feasible to assess with the resources the city is willing to commit to the project. Additionally, I am working with the WKU Department of Engineering to  analyze the heating efficiency of buildings on campus using infrared technology.”

According to Choate, playing an active role in shaping public discussion on important issues should be a priority for all young adults. “As future leaders in our society, students have a responsibility to be  involved in the processes that affect their communities,” Choate said. “The experience of presenting information, suggestions, and concerns to a government body is a relevant opportunity to those in all fields of study.”

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By Corey Alderdice