The big switch off at Christmas

11th December 2014

Day 5 of EAUC Sustainable Christmas is Student Engagement

Like staff engagement, there are some key ways to engage with students at Christmas to achieve many of your sustainability objectives. As it is the season of excess, it is easy to promote the many tangible and simple ways to apply sustainability principles. Christmas really doesn't have to be a burden on the environment. With a little effort and imagination, we can reduce the environmental impact of the holiday season.  

The shutdown over Christmas is a key message to demonstrate the importance of reducing waste and energy, encourage recycling and buying ethically and so on. Are you planning a student campaign to make sure your they have a sustainable Christmas? There's still plenty of time to send out some messages to your Green Impact teams, add to the intranet and disseminate via your social media channels.

We've collected together some great Member examples to inspire you!

University of Leeds shut down tips - Things to think about during the Christmas shutdown

University of Greenwich - Tips for at home including food, gifts and decorations and also switch off tips for non essential equipment on campus 

King's College London - Staff and student tips for a sustainable Christmas

Glasgow University - Lots of tips and links to resources for a sustainable Christmas

Sheffield University - This Christmas, it’s lights out for the Faculty of Engineering’s Big Christmas Switch Off!

Below you'll also find some examples of posters, images and emails which can be used to promote a sustainable Christmas. These were collected from a recent call out on the Educational Members' Network. Thanks to everyone who shared their materials!

What are you doing to encourage students to think sustainably this Christmas? Head on over to Facebook to weigh in!

Student Engagement is a Framework within Learning in Future Environments (LiFE)
> Check out more resources on 'Student Engagement' on the Sustainability Exchange