Goal – Enhance Student Success

College Initiative: Campus Tree Planting May 2018

Algonquin College’s campus in Perth, Ontario is getting “greener” each year!

In May 2018 these “greener” steps are witnessed with a tree planting project that lays the foundations of a future arboretum envisioned for the site.

Students and employees are joining together to plant a series of native trees selected specifically for the unique site conditions of being in the flood plain of the Tay River. Students who want to get involved in this fun, community project, are invited to sign up. Spaces are limited!
This project is helping to kick off Algonquin College’s participation in the WWF Canada Living Planet @ Campus program and is a collaborative effort between campuses, and the departments of Student Support Services, and Applied Science and Environmental Technology. Living Planet @ Campus is a pilot program, in conjunction with Canadian post-secondary institutions that aims to elevate post-secondary students’ understanding and contribution to the meaning and practice of sustainability as well as the protection of nature on campus and beyond.

The beautiful LEED® Gold certified building that houses Algonquin College’s Perth campus has a starting point of being a “green”. This sustainable and high-performance building, with construction dominated by a large wood-framed structure, situated adjacent to a flood plain area of the Tay River is surrounded by a combination of mature trees that were left undisturbed during the campus construction in 2010, as well as new trees planted as part of site landscaping.

Since the building’s construction, the college community has invested time and effort to keep the green going!

Symbolic trees were planted on site for National Tree day ceremonies September 27, 2017 and September 23, 2015.

An applied research lab focused on advanced housing – the Building Innovation Research Lab (BIRL) opened in 2016.

In 2017 a community garden project was started that provides opportunities for students and staff to grow and harvest food for the community members to share.

More trees, planted in 2018 are a welcome addition to the continuous journey towards a Sustainable Algonquin.

Group Leading Initiative: Multiple

For more information, contact:
Algonquin College
613-727-4723
sustainability@algonquincollege.com

College Initiative: October is National Wellness Month

One of the nine goal statements of the Algonquin College Sustainability Strategy Framework is to: Promote Human Development.

What this means at Algonquin:

Algonquin College enables individuals to achieve their highest potential by promoting sustainable living and learning that emphasizes:

Balance
Health and wellness
Professional development
Quality of life
Diversity

During the month of October, employees and students will see an increased focus on wellness-related activities and events. There is something for everyone!

Students – Ottawa campus

Look for the AC Purple Couch™ around campus, especially during Mental Illness Awareness Week, October 1-7, 2017.

Activities such as Paws for Stress canine crew, laughter yoga and Knit-n-Knatter (Thursdays from 11 am – 1 pm) are also planned.

Feed Your Body – Ottawa campus (Students and employees)

The “Locally Sourced” local food promotion program continues through Algonquin College food services. Check out the list of food samplings from local suppliers. World Food Day is October 16^th!

Wellness month is a great time to flex your palette and sample some of the locally sourced or vegetarian options prepared daily. Check out the weekly menu to see the many choices!

Stretch Your Legs – All campuses (Students and employees)

The Canadian Physical Activity Guidelines recommends that adults participate in 150 minutes of moderate to vigorous physical activity each week. A walk (as if you are late for the bus!) at lunchtime with friends or work colleagues is an easily accessible activity for Algonquin College employees and students.

Pembroke Waterfront campus – Kiwanis Walkway – 3 km (the 1.5 km length and return)
Perth campus – 2.5 km from campus, Riverside Drive to Colbourne, to Gore Street and return to campus along Craig St.
Ottawa campus – Join in on Thursdays at 12 noon for a 3.2 km circuit around the campus. Check here for starting points, as well as other routes on campus.

Feed Your Mind and Your Soul – Professional Development Sessions for Employees

The Centre for Organizational Learning (COL) has a full line up of wellness-oriented workshops planned for the month of October as part of the professional development offerings for employees. Session titles include:

Osteoporosis Prevention & Management
What is Dementia?
Charitable Giving
Fatigue Management
Managing Energy with Nutrition, Habits and Lifestyle
Planning a Retirement Residence for the Elderly
Managing Your Money
Adopting Positive Energized Natural Living
Understanding Depressive Illness

Additional resources:

Algonquin College employee wellness

Algonquin College Student Support Services

Algonquin College Future of Health and Wellness Speaker Series (video from featured events)

Group Leading Initiative: Multiple

For more information, contact:
Algonquin College
613-727-4723
sustainability@algonquincollege.com

College Initiative: Decreasing paper use with new printers and software

New multi-function printers (MFP’s), units that scan, print, copy, and fax, and printing software, appropriately called “PaperCut” are helping Algonquin College decrease paper use by both employees and students.

Algonquin College employees first started using the new printing set up at the beginning of the 2016-2017 academic year. With twelve months of use, more than 75,000 sheets of paper have been saved from use as employees chose to cancel print jobs or allowed the document that was sent to the printing queue to time-out. The savings in trees and carbon emissions that result from employees printing less are: approximately nine trees that were not needed to manufacture paper, and 960 kg of associated carbon emissions.

Students at Algonquin College started off the 2017-2018 academic year with the new printers and software. In the first month of use by students, more than 19,000 sheets of paper have been saved from use as students either actively chose to cancel a print job after seeing the impact (cost, trees and associated carbon emissions) with the PaperCut software, or they allowed the document to time-out.

Data comparing printing by students at the start of the 2017-2018 academic year to the first two weeks of the 2016-2017 academic year shows a decrease in printing of 60%.

In addition to the savings in paper through this initiative, the new MFP’s are energy-efficient and use less electricity on an annual basis.

Learn More

The changes in how Algonquin College employees print documents is part of a comprehensive AC Print Strategy. Students are provided extra support on how to print, scan and copy under the Print Shop website and through Information Technology Services (ITS).

Group leading initiative: Ancillary Services

For more information, contact:
Algonquin College
613-727-4723
sustainability@algonquincollege.com

College Initiative: Celebrating Trees – National Tree Day 2017

The Silver Maple tree (Acer saccharinum) on the front lawn of the Robert C. Gillett Student Commons building is estimated to be more than 50 years old.

On National Tree Day, Wednesday, September 27, 2017, students and employees are offered multiple ways to acknowledge the importance of trees in our lives and engage in activities that bring us closer to trees and our natural environment.

All campuses: Lug a mug and take a “pass” on the paper cup!

Employees and students are encouraged to show their love of trees on National Tree Day by taking a “pass” on a paper cup when they buy their favourite hot beverage on campus. It is estimated that 1.6 Billion paper coffee cups are used in Canada each year.* These cups, which are made with virgin paper pulp, takes 350,000 trees and 400 million gallons of water to produce.

Using your re-usable coffee mug may seem like a small act, but when you get into the habit, you can see the difference your actions make. And when more people join in, the positive impact increases. (make this a daily habit and you can celebrate National Tree Day everyday!)

Pembroke: Ottawa River Shoreline Invasive Tree Cleanup

Employees and students can already see the activity of the first intake of students in the new Urban Forestry – Arboriculture program as the students have been cleaning up the shoreline of the Ottawa River just outside the Pembroke Waterfront campus. With a partnership with the City of Pembroke, the students are removing Manitoba Maples, a non-native and invasive tree species that blocks other tree species from growing.

View the 2-minute video providing an overview of this program.

(Caution: if you are someone who grew up loving to climb trees, you might be inspired to enroll in this program immediately, but you will have to wait until September 2018 for the next intake to this one-year program!)

Perth: Perth Town Crier and Tree Planting Ceremony 12:00 p.m. – 12:30 p.m.

On Wednesday, September 27, 2017, starting at 12 noon, students and employees are invited to participate in a campus and community tradition: planting a legacy Sugar Maple (Acer saccharum) with a ceremony led by Perth Town Crier.

Additionally, Perth campus community members are encouraged to explore some fun facts about the 4,155 m2 wood-framed, certified LEED® Gold Perth campus building at the Sustainable Algonquin table in the student commons/cafeteria.

Ottawa: 50 years strong – a Story of a Silver Maple Tree and growing a forest

Employees and students are encouraged to get to know the more than 1300 trees of 77 species on the Ottawa campus.

In particular, National Tree Day is the perfect day to admire the 50+ year old Silver Maple (Acer saccharinum) (above) that graces the lawn of the Robert C. Gillett Building (Student Commons, E Building). Up to 1964, the original Ryan Farm, where the Ottawa campus of Algonquin College now sits, was actively farmed. At that time, the only trees were those around field perimeters or at the creek (which is now an entombed stream under the lawn of E Building)

Here is a short summary of how a forest has grown alongside the growth of Algonquin College over the last 50 years:

1967: approximately 15 trees planted with the construction of A Building
1977: ~147 trees
1987: ~191 trees
1997: ~ 615 trees
2007: ~ 970 trees
2017: ~1348 trees

A walking map provides guidance on a 3.2 km route around campus that supports exercise and enjoyment of the trees and green spaces on the Ottawa campus.

Sustainability Toolkit Resource: Classroom Resource: Culture and Connection to Wood Exploration Session

Social-cultural sharing and economic-environmental sustainability were the dominant themes that surfaced during a multi-disciplinary approach used in a collaborative event between students from the course Achieving Success in the 21st Century (GED2012 Cabinetmaking and Furniture Technician program) and the course Aboriginal Culture and Heritage (SSC1788, GAS Aboriginal Studies program). A description of this session that focused on the topic of “wood” is now available as a Classroom Resource in the Sustainability Toolkit for employees.

Sustainability Toolkit Resource: Ideas Corner: Print Shop Shipping Boxes & Envelopes Return for Reuse

Check out the Sustainability Toolkit for employees for information on simple steps you can take to reduce corrugated box use (wood fibre).

Additional resources on National Tree Day:

College Initiative: Decreasing paper use with new printers and software

Tree Canada

Canadian Wood Council profile on Algonquin College Perth Campus

Conservation International “Nature is Speaking” video Redwood & “Nature is Speaking” video Rainforest

*Source https://talkintrashwithuhn.com/2013/05/08/wake-up-and-smell-the-coffee/

Group leading initiative: Multiple

For more information, contact:
Algonquin College
613-727-4723
sustainability@algonquincollege.com

College Initiative: “22-4” Student Sustainability Leader Award

Algonquin College Student Sustainability Leaders demonstrate their commitment to sustainability in many ways, such as organizing a student-focused sustainability conference and engaging their peers in dialogue on important topics.

Algonquin College values grassroots contributions from students to further the College’s sustainability journey.

To recognized students’ efforts, the Sustainable Algonquin Steering Committee has created the “22-4” Student Sustainability Leader Award. The name of the award, “22-4” aligns with annual Earth Day celebrations (Earth Day is celebrated on the 22nd day of the fourth month of every year).

The “22-4” Algonquin College Sustainability Leader Award provides recognition, as well as a financial reward to students who volunteer a significant amount of their time to create change reflecting positive social and environmental impacts while respecting economic constraints. The efforts of sustainability leaders can further initiatives within the Algonquin College community or within the broader communities where Algonquin College operates.

The Algonquin College Foundation has established a mechanism on Canada Helps.org to allow individuals to contribute to this fund with the hope that each year, there will be at least $500 to award to deserving students. The fund was started by a generous donation from a guest speaker for an Algonquin College sustainability-oriented event who saw the need to further support students who were leading sustainability action and awareness activities on campus. The grassroots employee sustainability action team, See Earth Action Team for Sustainability (SEATS) has also contributed to the fund to support this award.

Annually, an ad-hoc selection committee under the direction of the Sustainable Algonquin Steering Committee will elect to offer one or more students recognition and a financial award for their contribution to assisting the College in working towards its goals as defined by the College Sustainability Strategy Framework. Students can be nominated for the award by Algonquin College employees or by their fellow students.

Nominations are required by March 15 of every year.

Group leading initiative: Sustainable Algonquin Steering Committee

For more information, contact:
Algonquin College
613-727-4723
sustainability@algonquincollege.com

College Initiative: AC Salon a Green Circle Salon

The AC Salon, Spa and Boutique is Algonquin College’s living laboratory for Hairstyling and Esthetician students enrolled in programs in the School of Hospitality and Tourism.

Since opening in its renovated space at the Algonquin College Ottawa campus in 2014, the AC Salon has been operating as a Green Circle Salon. Under the program, students actively learn how salon and spa operations impact the environment, and how they can make positive changes through their recycling procedures, product choices and connections with the community.

In 2016, the AC Spa contributed to the more than 850,000 lbs of waste that was diverted from landfill and water ways as a result of Green Circle Salon efforts across Canada and the United States.

The salon recycles aluminum, the most recyclable of all materials as well as hair and other items. Hair is collected by Green Circle Salon and used to manufacture hair booms for the purposes of oil spill cleanup.

Learn more

Algonquin Times story, written by: Algonquin College journalism student, Amber Provencal.
AC Salon, Spa and Boutique website
AC Salon, Spa and Boutique opening in 2014
Green Circle Salon

Group leading initiative: School of Hospitality and Tourism

For more information, contact:
Algonquin College
613-727-4723
sustainability@algonquincollege.com

College Initiative: Growing Local Food on Campus

The term “local food” can mean many things to many people. A popular term is a “100-kilometer” diet – having the majority of the food the winds up on your plate coming from a radius of 100 kms from your place of residence. In the United States, the radius gets a bit larger with a “100-mile diet”.
At Algonquin College, local food (on the scale of just meters!) is happening right on campus and offers great fresh food for students and employees; applied learning experiences; and opportunities to unwind by getting your hands in the dirt.

Horticultural Industries Program Farm Store

The farm store is run 12- 1 pm on Tuesdays and Fridays in Spring and Summer as part of the popular Horticultural Industries program. In the Spring, plant seedlings, perennials and annuals are available. When the produce comes in from the gardens, fresh vegetables at great prices make the 4.5 acres of the gardens at M building a great place to stop by during lunch breaks. A common sight at the gardens is professors from the School of Hospitality and Tourism choosing produce and herbs to include in culinary classes and meals in Restaurant International.

Community Garden

For employees who want to get their hands in the dirt, a small community garden located adjacent to the Students’ Association athletic field originates from the Human Resources team. All employees, and even students who are around during the summer months, can be involved in growing vegetables to share.

Herb Garden

Located in a small courtyard on the South side of Student Commons (E Building) and D Building, are a number of raised beds to grow herbs and some vegetables for use in the summer and early fall Culinary Arts programs. The beds were constructed by students in the Horticultural Industries program. Students in Culinary Arts program harvest these herbs and vegetables that are grown just steps away from their classrooms.

Group leading initiative: Multiple

For more information, contact:
Algonquin College
613-727-4723
sustainability@algonquincollege.com

College Initiative: Earth Hour 2017

Poster for Earth Hour 2017 event in Residence. 8:30-9:30 lights out board games

2017 marks the 10-year anniversary for Earth Hour! Algonquin College will recognize Earth Hour with a grassroots “lights out” board game event in Residence. Hosting the event will be students from the AC Green Team and the General Arts and Science Year II Community Engagement project.

When: Saturday, March 19 8:30 pm – 9:30 pm

Where: Algonquin College Residence, Movie Lounge

(note: this activity is only for Algonquin College students living in Residence)

Algonquin College is committed to reducing is ecological footprint and has many reasons to celebrate regarding the positive steps it is taking to conserve energy, innovate and take steps to a clean energy future. Here are some highlights:

All new buildings built to LEED ® Gold standards. LEED, Leadership in Energy and Environmental Design is a green building certification program that provides guidelines for multiple aspects of building construction for better energy efficiency and conservation.
The ESCO2 project with Siemens started in 2013 and has touched almost all areas of the Ottawa campus with facility improvements that are delivering significant energy savings.

Did you know?
When all computers and monitors are powered down at the end of every work day the College saves approximately $44,000 annually?
Did you know?
The Ontario Save on Energy program for residents provides more than $100 savings with Save on Energy coupons
Did you know?
Algonquin now produces power on campus with its 2 MW co-generation system (also known as Combined Heat and Power, CHP) and is ready to double its generation capacity to 4 MW?
Did you know?
Earth Hour is really about much more than 60 minutes!

Get informed and share your knowledge and the positive steps you are taking for a healthier environment!

More tips from Canadian Climate Scientist, Katherine Hayhoe at Global Weirding!

Groups leading initiative: AC Green Team & General Arts & Science, Year 2 Community Engagement, Residence Life

For more information, contact:
Algonquin College Residence
613-727-7698
info@algonquinrez.ca

College Initiative: World Water Day Student Video 2017

World Water Day takes place every year on March 22. The theme for 2017 is focusing on awareness of wastewater with the theme, “Why waste water?”.

Algonquin College is committed to reducing is ecological footprint and has many reasons to celebrate regarding the positive steps it is taking to rethink our relationship with water. Here are some highlights:

Development of a green infrastructure strategy that will guide decision-making on College activities relating to water (initiative led by Physical Resources)
Rain water (greywater) from LEED(R) Platinum Certified ACCE building green roof is captured and used in the building to flush toilets and urinals. As well, it is used for irrigation purposes onsite (initiative led by Physical Resources)
ESCO2 project effected the replacement of all toilets and urinals at Ottawa campus to low flow resulting in annual water use reductions of estimated at 38,900 cubic meters, the equivalent of more than 15 Olympic-sized swimming pools (initiative led by Physical Resources in partnership with Siemens)
Bioswales and permeable parking at Pembroke campus allowing rainwater to naturally enter the Ottawa River watershed (LEED Gold Certified building design led by Physical Resources)
Rain water at Perth campus is harvested with a 2000 litre system and used in the low flow toilets and urinals to result in a 60% reduction in water use compared to conventionally designed buildings. Permeable parking at Perth campus allowing rainwater to naturally enter the Tay River watershed (LEED Gold Certified building design led by Physical Resources)
Annual water awareness campaign collaborations with See Earth Action Team for Sustainability (SEATS), AC Green Team, General Arts and Science Community Engagement projects (grassroots initiative) (check out this year’s video produced by students in General Arts & Science Year II Community Engagement project)
AC Salon is a Green Circle Salon which means all hair dye chemicals are disposed of properly and not rinsed down the drain (grassroots initiative led by professors in the School of Hospitality and Tourism)
Save for Change program at terra20 provides Algonquin College employees and students with a discount at its stores and online shopping for biodegradable and non-toxic household cleaning and personal care products that are safe for water systems (initiative led by Ancillary Services)

Check out the 2017 World Water Day video and resources at www.worldwaterday.org

Group leading initiative: Multiple

For more information, contact:
Algonquin College
613-727-4723
info@algonquincollege.com

College Initiative: Sustainability in Action Conference 2017

Algonquin College’s student sustainability club, Earth Allies will host a one-day sustainability event, “Sustainability in Action Conference” on Saturday, April 8, 2017. Ticket purchase is required for the nominal fee of $5.00

Group leading initiative: Student Club Earth Allies

For more information, contact:
Algonquin College
613-727-4723
studentsassociation@algonquincollege.com

College Initiative: Ontario Food Survey

What do you think about the food at Algonquin’s Ottawa, Perth and Pembroke campuses? Would you like to see more sustainably-sourced, local food options offered at the various Algonquin’s Food Services locations?

Here is your opportunity to give your feedback and show your support for more local food options on campus.

Take the Ontario College Foodservices survey at: bit.ly/ONcollegefood. Tell us what you think about food on campus.

Would you like to see more local food options in the cafeteria?

What about Fair Trade or organic options?

Take 5!

The survey takes just 5 minutes to take. By taking this survey, you can advocate for more sustainable food options on campus.

This survey is sponsored by Mohawk College in partnership with the Greenbelt Fund. All survey results are confidential and anonymous. No personal information is collected. The survey is open to all Ontario college students. The survey will be open until January 27, 2016.

Group leading initiative: Multiple

For more information, contact:
Algonquin College
613-727-4723
info@algonquincollege.com

College Initiative: Sustainability Education Online Learning

Sustainability literacy for all

Sustainability literacy is a part of the Algonquin College experience for all students enrolled in Ontario College credential programs.

With the financial support of the Sustainability Education program from Siemens Canada, a new set of online learning tools is available to support incorporating sustainability education in an online and hybrid classroom environment.

The tools were developed to meet the specific need of conveying the sometimes complex topic of sustainability in a format that is accessible for a wide audience – students, employees and even those outside the immediate Algonquin College community.

Supporting the development process under Algonquin College’s Curriculum Services was a small advisory team comprised of representatives from Algonquin College administration, faculty, support staff and students.

Delivering on commitments

This initiative is another example of how Algonquin College continues to deliver on its commitment to ensure that sustainability is embedded in its culture, learning and operations.

These commitments were made when it signed the Talloires Declaration and the Colleges and Institutes Canada Pan Canadian Protocol for Sustainability.

The initial 1-hour module, Introduction to Sustainability, was released in January 2016 and will be piloted within academic programs. It is also available as part of professional development offerings. Additional supporting tools are being made available following the initial pilot.

Simple actions for sustainable algonquin video

Group leading initiative: Sustainable Algonquin Steering Committee

For more information, contact:
Algonquin College
613-727-4723
info@algonquincollege.com

College Initiative: AC Green Team

AC Green Leaders serve as educators in peer-to-peer sustainability outreach at Algonquin College. The AC Green Team is a select group of leaders who work to help share sustainability concepts and a sustainability ethic throughout the campus community. Being an AC Green Leader is a valuable learning experience for students that can deepen their understanding of sustainability while developing their outreach and education skills.

The AC Green Team started in the 2015-2016 academic year as a pilot program supported under the guidance of the Sustainable Algonquin Steering Committee. The initiative is a part of Algonquin College’s Sustainability Education program. Sustainability Education is financially supported by Algonquin College’s energy services provider, Siemens. Students that participate as volunteer leaders in this program will be eligible to add this to their co-curricular record.

By participating in a wide variety of outreach activities, as well as lending their own unique strengths in areas such as social media and connecting with their peers, AC Green Leaders will:

Educate students for sustainability
Create awareness of the Algonquin College sustainability vision of: Caring Today, For Tomorrow
Support energy awareness and energy conservation behaviours within student population
Support waste and recycling awareness and behaviour change within student population
Support responsible water consumption and reduced ecological impact within student population
Instill positive mindset relating to empowerment, innovation and change relating to climate change, social justice, biodiversity, community resilience issues

Applications for 2018-2019 Academic Year now being accepted

Students interested in volunteering 1-5 hours per week (October – March) are invited to submit an application to join the 2017-2018 AC Green Team.

To apply, please send the following to: ATTN: AC Green Team, sustainability@algonquincollege.com:

Your Full Name, program of Study, Student ID, Availability (days & times)
Provide brief answers to the following questions on why you want to be involved:

Why you want to be involved? (200 words max.)
The strengths you will bring to the team? (100 words max.)
What sustainability topics are you interested in? (100 words max.)
What you would like to get out of the program in the way of your skill and knowledge development? (100 words max.)

Groups leading initiative: Physical Resources and Sustainable Algonquin Steering Committee

For more information, contact:

Algonquin College
613-727-4723, ext 7710
sustainability@algonquincollege.com

College Initiative: AC Earth Day 2015

2015 marks the 45th anniversary of Earth Day, celebrated on April 22 each year. The globally recognized day provides an annual point of focus for citizen around the world to reflect on the importance of the natural environment, its role in supporting human life and our responsibility to protect it.

For Earth Day 2015, Algonquin’s College Ancillary Services and Sustainable Algonquin invite all Algonquin College community members to seize the positive energy of springtime and this day. It is a busy time of year with students focused on exams, but never too busy to have a bit of fun and take advantage of some great ways to mark the day. Here is a sample of what is taking place:

Reduce waste!

Visit the Starbucks in the Student Commons building for your FREE brewed coffee when you bring your reusable mug.
Get your $.10 discount on hot beverages when you bring your reusable mug at Woodroffe campus locations

Get energy aware!

Visit Connections Campus Store between 11 a.m. and 1 p.m. to get a first hand (or foot) experience on how much energy is required to boil water. Tea anyone? Members from Siemens energy team, collaborating with Algonquin College for better energy performance will be on hand to talk energy with the renewable energy bicycle and hand out prizes for participants.

Reduce your GHG’s by cleaning up your commute!

Earth Day Canada to working to motivate action for commitments to reduce greenhouse gas emissions by 20% by 2020. See how you can start by cleaning up your commute.

Make every day earth day!

Algonquin College tries to make every day Earth Day with its commitment to sustainability and following its Sustainability Strategy Framework. Earth Day Canada launches a new mobile platform on Earth Day 2015 to help all Canadians make Earth Day Every Day.

Top 3 Earth Day Tips for Students:

Take the stairs instead of the elevator on campus or in your apartment building – the few minutes of exercise might be just what you need to stimulate circulation and prepare you for the next exam or study session (fewer greenhouse gas emissions with less electricity used too!)
Follow @ACSustainable and join the conversation about #ACSustainability
Wish someone “Happy Earth Day!” – guaranteed to make you smile!

Top 3 Earth Day Tips for Faculty & Staff:

Give yourself a 10-minute Earth Day break to set up your work space to make it easy to “power down” at the end of every work day. Think about changing the location of your power bar so that you can easily reach it to ensure that monitors, speakers, headsets, personal printers and other electronics can be powered down with one button. (check out the amount of electricity, costs and greenhouse gas emissions are saved each year with 92% of staff doing this simple action every day – you may be surprised at how big of an impact results from such a simple action)
Sign up for the terra20 and Algonquin College “Save for Change” program. Enjoy great choices for eco-friendly home and personal care items at this Ottawa-based retailer. The more you spend, the larger the fund for Ancillary Services to do more great work for better sustainability performance for the College
Download the new Earth Day Every Day mobile app and plan how you can clean your commute with the many tips offered on this site.

Happy Earth Day!

Group leading initiative: Multiple Groups

For more information, contact:

Algonquin College
613-727-4723

info@algonquincollege.com

College Initiative: Sustainability Days Spring 2015

As Spring approaches, sustainability is evident all around the campuses of Algonquin College with students, faculty and staff organizing and participating in a wide variety of events. Grassroots sustainability-related activities and event are supported and encouraged by the Sustainable Algonquin Steering Committee (SASC) as part of its mandate: “continue to create opportunities for students and staff to engage in grassroots activities that lead toward a more sustainable future.”

Join in!

Students, faculty and staff are invited to take part in these events. Opportunities for fun, learning and inspiration are extensive.

A summarized schedule is below. Follow the links more details on events and activities and save these dates in your calendar:

March 22 – World Water Day, Students are invited to participate in the Water Awareness social media campaign to win prizes.

March 28 – Earth Hour, Residence, 8:30 pm-9:30 pm. Students in Residence are “dropping the mic” for an unplugged acoustic jam session.

April 1 – National WeDay, Ottawa. Students, faculty and staff volunteered to ensure this event’s success.

April 1 – Seedling Sale & Seed Swap, E Building, Student Commons 11 am – 3 pm. Students in the campus club: ASPEN (Algonquin Students Protecting the Environment) are hosting a sale (by donation) of vegetable plant seedlings and invited students to become seed savers. Funds raised will support the College’s Run for Biodiversity team in the Ottawa Race Weekend.

April 2 – AC Climate Aware – Tracey Clark, The AC Hub, E Building, Student Commons 2nd floor, 2 pm – 4 pm. Learn about sustainability and business from one of Ottawa’s entrepreneurs. Also, catch another episode of the Years of Living Dangerously documentary series on climate change issues and solutions.

April 7 – Approaches to Sustainability Fair, E Building, Student Commons 1 pm – 3 pm. Students in the General Arts and Science Approaches to Sustainability with share with the College community their research projects. As well, this is an opportunity to meet members of the College’s environmental and sustainability clubs, learn of other class projects relating to sustainability and tap into College resources on how you can “be inspired” to “be the change” for the upcoming school year.

April 7 – AC Inspire, E Building Algonquin Commons Theatre 3:30 pm (doors open at 3:00 pm). The AC Inspire event features tentree co-founder Derrick Emsley and is hosted by Algonquin’s own change leaders, AC See Earth Action Team for Sustainability. Ready to be inspired to be the change you want to see in the world? Don’t miss this event! Exclusive bonus for the first 500 audience members*: a free tentree shirt!

April 8 – Are you powered down? Results of 2014 campaign announced, Marketplace 11:30 am-1:00 pm. D Building. Remembering to turn off computers and monitors every day can be challenging. Algonquin College faculty and staff are invited to learn of the results of the 2014 campaign and get tips on how to make powering down a daily habit.

April 9 – Caring Today, For Tomorrow – Sustainability Strategy Framework, Marketplace 11:30 am – 1:00 pm. D Building. Algonquin College faculty and staff are invited to receive their copy of the new sustainability office poster.

April 10 – Applied Research Day, T, A, E Buildings, 8:00 am – 3:00 pm. Sustainability continues to be an important part of projects researched under the Applied Research Program. This event offers great insight on the innovation that is driving new and better approaches to key industry and community needs.

April 12 – Great Canadian Shoreline Clean Up, Downtown Ottawa, 11 am. The student club, Park Canada Adventurers is leading a Great Canadian Shoreline Cleanup event near Parliament Hill. Join in by contacting: katrinakhoury@gmail.com

April 13 – Sustainability Day – Ottawa in the Valley (Pembroke) Campus. The Outdoor Adventure Naturalists program students host a day of activities and information for the Community to take in.

April 22 – Earth Day! So many ways to celebrate our planet earth today! Join in Earth Day Canada’s program: Earth Day Every Day as well as activities at the Woodroffe campus.

April 27 – AC @ Zibi Advisory Committee Meeting, T Building, 3:00 pm – 4:30 pm. College community members are invited to the next meeting of the project focusing on the College’s role in the eco-revitalization of the old Domtar Lands, now referred to as “Zibi.”

Group leading initiative: Multiple

For more information, contact:
Algonquin College
613-727-4723
info@algonquincollege.com

College Initiative: Years of Living Dangerously docu-series screenings

Students connecting to “Years” project

The Years of Living Dangerously Project is underway and all Algonquin students will want to participate in one or more of the scheduled events taking place during the school year.

What: Movie screenings of a nine-part Emmy-winning documentary series and related activities at the College. Detailed information at: www.algonquincollege.com/years

When: October 31, 12-1:30 pm, November 18, 3-4:30 pm, December 2, 3-4:30 pm (Fall screening dates)

Special events:

Oct 31, 1:15 pm following Episode 1 screening, Skype interview with Canadian climate scientist, Katherine Hayhoe

Nov 18:, 4:15 pm, following Episode 2 screening, a Skype Q&A session with a Snake River Hotshot firefighter who is featured in this episode.

Where: AC Hub, Student Commons, E 217

Why: The project will increase awareness and understanding of one of the most important topics of our time, climate change. This is an opportunity for students to get the facts, understand the issues, apply critical thinking and exercise leadership skills. (Free refreshments and a chance to meet one of the Hollywood stars involved in the project as well!)

How to register: https://www.algonquincollege.com/years/events/

How to get involved: Attend movie screenings, use social media, get involved in sustainability-related Student Clubs on campus

Faculty members linking “Years” project to curriculum

Faculty members are encouraged to leverage this year-long project, and its content relating to sustainability, internationalization and climate change as a means to meet the new Sustainability and Internationalization Vocation Learning Outcome this is required in all Ontario Credentials programs.

Poster for Years of Living Dangerously episode 2 screening. Poster designed by students integrating this project into their course work.

Throughout the year, all nine episodes of this Emmy award-winning ShowTime documentary series will be screened in the AC Hub (E217). Details on the first three screenings are below:

Episode 1: October 31 12:00pm – 1:30pm. Episode stars Harrison Ford and Don Cheadle. Following the screening, a 15 minute Skype interview with Katharine Hayhoe, a Canadian climate scientist appearing in episode 1 will take place for students to speak directly with a climate expert.

Episode 2 November 18 3:00pm – 4:30pm. Episode stars Harrison Ford and Arnold Schwarzenegger. Following the screening, a Skype Q&A session with a Snake River Hotshot firefighter who is featured in this episode will take place for students to hear directly from those experiencing unexpected results from changes in climate.

Episode 3 December 2 3:00pm – 4:30pm

Free refreshments for everyone who registers via EventBrite at: www.algonquincollege.com/years/events/

Any faculty member with an interest in developing curriculum around this series is encouraged to contact project lead, Jay Smith, smithj4@algonquincollege.com.

Additional information about this project, and in particular the project’s culminating event, planned for April 2015 and featuring one of the Hollywood stars from the episode will be announced.

Group leading initiative: See Earth Action Team for Sustainability

For more information, contact:

Jay Smith, Algonquin College
613-727-4723
smithj4@algonquincollege.com

College Initiative: A “Green” Welcome to Res Life – 2014-2015

Sustainable Algonquin was on hand for the move into Algonquin College Residence at the start of the 2014-2015 academic year. A number of tips were shared with new students to remind them about how to fit into Algonquin’s “green” culture, have a lower environmental impact and keep finances sustainable too!

Create less waste:

When ordering take-out meals at the 35^th Street Café or in the Marketplace, request reusable containers. Containers can be returned to 35^th Street Café where they will be washed and reused.
Use a refillable water bottle and fill up in the dorm room or on campus at the water bottle refill stations.

Turn off the tap:

Students turning off the tap while brushing their teeth will save 7 litres of water every day!*
Being respectful of water consumption and your time in the shower will keep your roommate relationship positive and will contribute to saving more than 3 million litres of water during the school year.**

Say “no thanks” to plastic bags and single-use disposable containers:

Practice the three “R”s – Reduce, Reuse & Recycle
Use reusable shopping bags rather than single use plastic bags. (save $.05 at the grocery store!)
Use reusable hot beverage containers (save $.10 at all food outlets on campus – including Starbucks and Tim Horton’s) and invest in a reusable Booster Juice cup – get a free “booster” each time you use it (a $.50 value)

Get active with your transportation:

Ample bike parking and Tune-up Tuesdays means a bike-friendly campus and the Woodroffe location is easily accessible by bus transit.
Student Car Share makes it easy to be an Algonquin College student free from the expense and hassle of car-ownership.

Make smart buying choices:

Look for environmentally-friendly school supplies at Connections from Onyx and Green
Sign up for the terra20 Save for Change program and remember to stop by the store at Pinecrest Shopping Centre when you visit IKEA.
Consider environmental choices for your everyday needs – paper products that use recycled content, biodegradable dish soap, laundry detergent, shampoos and other toiletry items – choices such as these use fewer natural resources, are better for the ecology of the Ottawa River (our water supply), and have been shown to be healthier options.

Live the Algonquin College values: Caring, Learning, Integrity and Respect:

Learn about issues relating to social responsibility, the environment and sustainability
Show that you Care about tomorrow by demonstrating Integrity today
Respect the environment that we share and those that we share it with

*Assumes a student brushes their teeth twice each day **Assumes a reduction of 2 minutes for shower time as well as all students in Algonquin College residence participating

College Initiative: Earth Day 2014

Make it Count for Earth Day is the theme for Earth Day Canada – #MIC4ED

Started in 1970, and taking place on April 22 each year, Earth Day is a globally recognized day to reflect on the importance of the natural environment, its role in supporting human life and our responsibility to protect it.

For Earth Day 2014, Sustainable Algonquin invites all Algonquin College community members to seize the positive energy of springtime and this day. Here are suggestions for simple things to mark the day:

Top 3 Earth Day Tips for Students:

Take the stairs instead of the elevator on campus or in your apartment building – the few minutes of exercise might be just what you need to stimulate circulation and prepare you for the next exam or study session (fewer greenhouse gas emissions with less electricity used too!)
Follow @ACSustainable and look for a tweet on Tuesday, April 22 that you can “retweet to win” – a trendy and eco-friendly messenger bag provided by Connections (Congrats to our prize winners!)

Onyx Green Messenger Bag is the prize for Earth Day student “retweets” from @ACSustainable
Wish someone “Happy Earth Day!” – guaranteed to make you smile!

Top 3 Earth Day Tips for Faculty & Staff:

Give yourself a 10-minute Earth Day break to set up your work space to make it easy to “power down” at the end of every work day. Think about changing the location of your power bar so that you can easily reach it to ensure that monitors, speakers, headsets, personal printers and other electronics can be powered down with one button. (check out the amount of electricity, costs and greenhouse gas emissions are saved each year with 92% of staff doing this simple action every day – you may be surprised at how big of an impact results from such a simple action)
Sign up for the terra20 and Algonquin College “Save for Change” program. Enjoy great choices for eco-friendly home and personal care items at this Ottawa-based retailer. The more you spend, the larger the fund for Ancillary Services to do more great work for better sustainability performance for the College
Save some money, electricity and greenhouse gas emissions with your home electricity use – take advantage of the Ontario Power Authority Save on Energy coupon event. Don’t delay – these great offers are good until Sunday, April 27!

Make it Count for Earth Day and Earth Month

The 2014 Earth Month campaign focuses on 4 action categories – EAT, GROW, TRANSFORM and SHARE. The website http://makeitcount.earthday.ca/ has more information and opportunities to make your commitments. Using #MIC4ED in social media is another way to share individual actions you take for the environment and to compare with friends, colleagues and other people across the country.

Happy Earth Day!

College Initiative: Sustainability Days – Perth, Ottawa & Pembroke 2014

In 2013, students in the General Arts and Sciences ENV0007 Approaches to Sustainable Development course and their professor, Jay Smith initiated a Woodroffe campus Sustainability Day during which they showcased their course projects on various sustainability-related topics. The day’s activities were linked to the College’s spring Applied Research Day and a “week” branded as Sustainability Week was the result. It is conceived that a Sustainability Day could be an annual event as part of the ENVOO7 curriculum and that a Grassroots Sustainability Week could evolve into annual event. The event was supported by the Sustainable Algonquin Steering Committee as part of its mandate: “continue to create opportunities for students and staff to engage in grassroots activities that lead toward a more sustainable future.”

Sustainability Days at the Perth Campus have a strong history as days of campus-wide engagement and awareness on a variety of sustainability-related topics. For 2014, the day at the Perth campus is being planned by students. (this will be the 7th annual event)

The concept of Sustainability Days has spread to the Pembroke campus and for 2014, students in the Outdoor Adventure Naturalist program will lead the planning and execution of the day in Pembroke as part of their program curriculum.

Join in!

Students, faculty and staff are invited to take part in these events. Please see the invitation to participate from Sustainable Algonquin Steering Committee Co-Chairs.

Follow the links more details on events and activities and save these dates in your calendar:

Thursday, April 3, 2014, 10:00 a.m. – 1:00 p.m., Perth Student Commons
Monday, April 7 – Friday, April 11, 2014, Ottawa Woodroffe Campus – multiple locations
The week’s highlights: (see the full schedule)
- Monday 9:00 a.m. – 3:00 p.m. D Building Marketplace, Salon A
- Tuesday 10:00 a.m. – 12:00 p.m. E Building water awareness and Savoir Fare specialties to raise funds for Run for Biodiversity
- Wednesday Ottawa River Keeper, and GAC Sustainability Day, T and E Buildings
- Friday Applied Research Day
Thursday, April 17, 2014, 12:00 p.m. – 5:00 p.m. Pembroke Campus

College Initiative: Water Awareness 2014

In conjunction with World Water Day (March 22nd), Water Awareness was the focus of activities in Student Commons on Friday, March 21 from 10:30 a.m. – 1:00 p.m.

The Water Awareness campaign, organized by S.E.A.T.S. (See Earth Action Team for Sustainability) and the student Sustainability Club, is a series of grassroots events designed to promote the responsible use of our water.

Participants completed a water awareness quiz and raced to win prizes – reusable hot/cold beverage cups; learned about important water issues relevant to the College community; and gained new information on how to take action.

Many students signed the pledge to reduce the amount of bottled water they buy, choosing instead to use refillable water bottles more often and make good use of the water bottle refill stations located around campus.

A few quick water facts shared with students, faculty and staff:

53 gallons of water are used to make one latte
700 gallons of water are used to manufacture one cotton t-shirt
A 1-litre plastic water bottle requires 3-5 litres of water to produce it

The group will engage with the College community again on Tuesday, April 8 during Sustainability Week (10:00 – 12:00 noon) E Building, Woodroffe.

This campaign aligns with the College’s Sustainability Strategy Framework.

Groups leading initiative: See Earth Action Team for Sustainability and the student-led Sustainability Club

For more information, contact:

Jay Smith, Algonquin College
613-727-4723
smithj4@algonquincollege.com

College Initiative: ESCO2 Launch Event and Information Displays

The ESCO2 Project, a multi-year initiative focusing on better energy performance at the College’s Woodroffe campus is underway.

The project official launch event held on January 21, 2014 featured information displays to assist College community members – staff, faculty and students make the connection to the ESCO2 project and answer key questions:

What is the ESCO2 project with Siemens?
What buildings will be impacted and when?
How does this project benefit the College?
What can I do as a student / as an employee to improve energy performance at the College and reduce our ecological footprint?
What can I do as a home owner / renter within Ottawa to improve energy performance in my home for cost savings and a smaller ecological footprint?
What is the College doing overall to be more sustainable?
How does the ESCO2 project relate to learning at the College?

Department leading initiative: Physical Resources

For more information, contact:
Algonquin College
613-727-4723
info@algonquincollege.com

College Initiative: Holiday Shut Down Energy Conservation

Mark Hoddenbagh (Applied Research), Alanna McDonnell (Ancillary Services), Craig Dulmage (Information and Technology Services), and John Tattersall (Physical Resources) show off the new power bars that will be installed (and turned off at the end of each work day!) for better energy performance at the College.

For the 2013 holiday shut down period all Algonquin College staff and faculty were reminded to take a few simple steps to help reduce wasted energy during the annual holiday shut down period.

The College is working closely with Siemens Building Performance and Sustainability team members to improve energy performance in all areas of the College. This project, named ESCO2, started in 2013 and is designed to deliver savings by decreasing electricity, natural gas and water use.

Faculty and staff also have a role to play as we work toward our goals.

The energy team involved in this initiative found interesting results that demonstrate that Algonquin College community members are already taking proactive steps to minimize wasted energy resources, and contribute to energy cost savings.

Within one area* audited, the team found the following percentages of systems turn off for the holiday shut down period:

Computers: 92%
Monitors: 57%
Printers: 48%
Secondary devices (such as speakers, a second monitor or other): 65%

With the figure of 92% applied to typical energy use for all of the computers and monitors at the Woodroffe campus, the team estimates that College can be experiencing approximate annual savings of: $44,000, 366,507 kWh, and 40 Tonnes CO₂e with such exemplary behaviour of turning off PCs and monitors at the end of each work day.

It is clear that simple, individual steps for energy reduction do add up!

Attendees at the information session were invited to take action to continue energy conservation and seek continuous improvement. Power bars were distributed and attendees were invited to install them on their desktops (rather than in a hard-to-reach location) and to use them on a daily basis to power down all devices at the end of each work day.

Congratulations to the entire Algonquin College community for demonstrating great energy conservation performance during the holiday shut down period!

Winner of the Solar Cell Phone charging kit: Renay Dixon. Congratulations!

*Note: the Algonquin College Woodroffe campus area audited during the holiday shut down was representational of a significant number of office workstations. The focus of this exercise was an examination of office space, rather than classrooms and computer labs.

Department leading initiative: Physical Resources

For more information, contact:
Algonquin College
613-727-4723
info@algonquincollege.com

Case Study: Embedding Sustainability into the Curriculum

Photo: Stephen Murphy leading a workshop about integrating sustainability

Stephen Murphy, Curriculum Support Services, leading a workshop on integrating sustainability and internationalization.

More than offering a handful of ‘green’-focused courses or programs of study, Algonquin College is embedding sustainability in all its Ontario College Credential programs by leveraging existing processes for program renewal or development.

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Success Story: Four high-performance buildings in four years deliver on triple bottom line

Award-winning and built to LEED® standards: the ACCE Building, a renovated Perth Campus, a relocated Pembroke Campus and the new Robert C. Gillett Student Commons set a new standard for learning and working environments at the College.

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Goal – Enhance Student Success

Signs of Spring and Sustainability are in the Air!

What this means at Algonquin:

Students – Ottawa campus

Feed Your Body – Ottawa campus (Students and employees)

Stretch Your Legs – All campuses (Students and employees)

Feed Your Mind and Your Soul – Professional Development Sessions for Employees

Learn More

All campuses: Lug a mug and take a “pass” on the paper cup!

Pembroke: Ottawa River Shoreline Invasive Tree Cleanup

Perth: Perth Town Crier and Tree Planting Ceremony 12:00 p.m. – 12:30 p.m.

Ottawa: 50 years strong – a Story of a Silver Maple Tree and growing a forest

Sustainability Toolkit Resource: Classroom Resource: Culture and Connection to Wood Exploration Session

Sustainability Toolkit Resource: Ideas Corner: Print Shop Shipping Boxes & Envelopes Return for Reuse

Additional resources on National Tree Day:

Learn more

Horticultural Industries Program Farm Store

Community Garden

Herb Garden

Take 5!

Sustainability literacy for all

Delivering on commitments

Applications for 2018-2019 Academic Year now being accepted

Reduce waste!

Get energy aware!

Reduce your GHG’s by cleaning up your commute!

Make every day earth day!

Top 3 Earth Day Tips for Students:

Top 3 Earth Day Tips for Faculty & Staff:

Happy Earth Day!

Join in!

Students connecting to “Years” project

Faculty members linking “Years” project to curriculum

Create less waste:

Turn off the tap:

Say “no thanks” to plastic bags and single-use disposable containers:

Get active with your transportation:

Make smart buying choices:

Live the Algonquin College values: Caring, Learning, Integrity and Respect:

Top 3 Earth Day Tips for Students:

Top 3 Earth Day Tips for Faculty & Staff:

Join in!