Freshman Green 15 Activities
15 Activities to Conscious Living
1. Movie Night:
Hosting an environmental movie night or green TV night is a fun and informative way to engage students in change. Pick a great doc, a series of short films, or TED talks that you can screen for your floor or building. (we will post a list on our FG15 page). Provide organic, non-GMO, snacks for residents to eat during the film. Following the film, facilitate a discussion about reactions to the film(s) and issue(s) at hand. We will provide information about Project Green Challenge 2013 and materials for residents to sign up if they are interested.
Materials needed:
– TV or projector
– Copy of the selected film or the links on YouTube, etc
– Organic, non GMO, sustainable, fair trade, healthy snacks
– List of questions for a post-film discussion
Movie and TV ideas:
· No Impact Man
· Food, Inc.
· An Inconvenient Truth
· The Story of Stuff series
· TED talks
o A New Ecosystem for Electric Cars: (18 min)
§ http://www.ted.com/talks/shai_agassi_on_electric_cars.html
o Green Building: (6 min)
§ http://www.ted.com/talks/lang/en/catherine_mohr_builds_green.html
o Greening the Ghetto (18 min)
§ http://www.ted.com/talks/lang/en/majora_carter_s_tale_of_urban_renewal.html
o Tough Truths about Plastic Pollution: (5 min)
§ http://www.ted.com/talks/dianna_cohen_tough_truths_about_plastic_pollution.html
Snack Ideas:
-Fair trade chocolate
-Organic popcorn
-Organic granola
-Fresh fruits and vegetables (locally grown and organic if possible)
-Products from Nature’s Path, Kopali, Rudi’s Organic Bakery, RW Garcia, Chipotle
2. Room or Door Decoration Contest
Now that the year has begun and your residents have started arranging their rooms and meeting each other, it is the perfect time to have a room or door decor contest! Give students a week or so at the beginning of the semester to decorate their room using the checklist from Project Green Dorm (projectgreendorm.com). Challenge them to make their space as sustainable as possible and to include great eco info to help inform other residents! At the end of the week, residents and other RAs can vote to select the “best” room(s), based on certain criteria, and the winner will receive a great eco prize (TTG can help). Not only does this project promote sustainable living, it also helps residents bond with a little friendly competition.
Resources for your residents:
· Project Green Dorm website
· Earth 911 has really creative ideas about decorations that you and your residents can create by upcycling old items.
o http://earth911.com/news/2013/01/03/crazy-diy-projects/
o http://earth911.com/news/2012/11/08/diy-small-space-solutions-made-from-trash/
o http://earth911.com/news/2012/10/22/10-simple-reuse-projects-in-30-minutes-or-less/
· Look for unique environmental images or bumper stickers to put on doors, or make your own!
3. Eco Shopping Experience
Want a fun program to get out of the campus bubble? Gather a group of residents on a Saturday afternoon (or whatever time works well) for an Eco-shopping trip. This is a great way to get students comfortable exploring in and around campus and is a fun way for them to get to know their community and visit places they might not have known about previously. You can use public transportation, ride bikes, or walk to different locations on or off campus, and spend an allotted amount of time at each location (20-30 minutes?) to look around and shop. Be sure to map out where each location is so you can share it with other students via social media with photos when you get back!
Examples of places to visit…
· thrift and vintage shops
· resale shops
· used book shops
· food co-ops or natural food stores
· farmer’s markets
· sustainable or vegetarian restaurants
· any other sustainable gems that you find in your community
4. Eco Top Chef
Few things draw people together as much as food; and the promise of an awesome meal or yummy snacks. This time, get the residents behind the food preparation. Not only will they learn about cooking, they will also develop a better understanding of what “organic,” “sustainable,” “fair trade,” “non-GMO”, “locally grown” and “farm to plate” mean as these terms relate to what they find on their plate.
This program can take many different directions; you might host a potluck, a cooking demonstration, a sustainable version of Iron Chef, or any other event that integrates healthy food into a fun, social gathering. This program can build community on your floor or hall, and will teach residents real life skills related to healthy cooking to help sustain the planet! After all if you think about it chefs can change the world just by the menus they create!
Options to help you get started:
· Talk to your dining services or food science department about hosting a sustainable food related event and work with them to brainstorm ideas
· Talk to your hall director about good areas to host the program, places you will purchase food (in case your hall director needs to help), and other campus resources that could help
· Explore! Are there farmers markets or green grocers nearby? These would be great resources! If not, hunt around in your regular grocery store. Do they carry organic or fair trade products?
· Do you like to cook? If so, look up recipes online that use organic, fair trade, or locally grown ingredients. These could even be vegetarian or vegan dishes!
5. Edible Landscape
An “edible landscape” means planting food crops in a yard or in the existing landscape near homes, businesses, or anywhere there is some bare ground! Many foods are grown far away, travelling an average of 1500 miles to reach our plate, a journey that creates pollution and emits carbon dioxide (a contributor to global warming). Furthermore, synthetic pesticides and fertilizers are often sprayed on the fields, polluting air, soil, water, and damaging human health. Planting an edible landscape encourages local food choices and doesn’t require the use of harmful chemicals.
How to get started: Ask local nurseries for plant donations and ask them (or a gardening club) what plants grow well in your area. Or, check out this website: http://ediblelandscaping.com/. Locate your zone number on the US map and then look for plants that will thrive in your area. If you can’t get any plant donations, buying non-GMO vegetable or herb seeds is an inexpensive option. Encourage students to plant food near their dorm or herbs in their dorm rooms! Given time, your edible landscape project will turn into a free buffet of fruits, vegetables, and herbs right outside your door! Watch the following talk for inspiration and ideas:
http://www.ted.com/talks/pam_warhurst_how_we_can_eat_our_landscapes.html
6. DIY Green Clean
Many household cleaning products contain toxic chemicals that are harmful to human and environmental health. Common household products contain ingredients that have been linked to cancer, allergies, and organ toxicity. Check out www.ewg.org/guides/cleaners for more information and safety ratings on specific products. Luckily, it’s easy to make safe and healthy alternatives! Plus, making your own products is often cheaper. Host an event where students can make their own healthy products. Show them the online video: “The Story of Cosmetics” beforehand so they understand the purpose of the event. Have some conventional products on hand so students can use the Environmental Working Group database (link above) to look up information on common products.
Using the following resources, select some green cleaners that your residents likely use on a normal basis (laundry soap and all purpose cleaners are good choices).
Resources:
http://www.apartmenttherapy.com/20-diy-green-cleaning-recipes-141129
http://lisa.drbronner.com/?cat=12
http://www.care2.com/greenliving/make-your-own-non-toxic-cleaning-kit.html
Most ingredients are available in regular grocery stores. The key DIY items are; Castile Soap, Vinegar, Water, Lemon, and Baking Soda.
A great liquid soap is Dr. Bronner’s. It’s very concentrated so 16 ounces can last the whole year. You can use it for everything from shower soap to cleaning counter tops and best of all it’s certified organic, non-GMO, and fair trade certified.
7. Sill Garden
Planting some flowers or herbs to create a windowsill garden is a simple and fun activity. Get some small pots, a few bags of soil, and some seed packets (look for organic soil and non-GMO seeds!). Students can decorate the pots with whatever supplies are on hand. Everyone can plant some seeds (flowers and herbs are good choices) and watch a tiny garden grow on their windowsill. Having plants in your room helps clean indoor air, which is often not as healthful and clean as outdoor air.
Check out the following for more information:
-http://www.cleanairgardening.com/houseplants.html
-http://www.gardeningknowhow.com/edible/herbs/hgen/growing-an-indoor-window-sill-herb-garden-tips-for-a-indoor-herb-garden.htm
- http://www.bhg.com/gardening/houseplants/projects/windowsill-gardens/
8. Community Garden
If your school already has a community garden, contact the organizers and volunteer your dorm or floor to go help out for an afternoon. If your school doesn’t have a garden, why not think about starting one? A community garden on campus means fresh produce at your fingertips. Produce from the garden can be donated to your local food bank to improve the diets of those who need it most. Gardening reduces stress, and you will learn lifelong skills. Start asking questions about where a community garden might be planted and what funds are available to get started. Grants exist to help defray start-up costs (see link below), and in the long run, planting seeds is a much cheaper alternative to buying produce at the grocery store. Offer incentives to students: for a couple of hours of work in the garden they can take some produce with them.
Links:
http://www.wholekidsfoundation.org/gardengrants.php
http://itemonline.com/local/x1095520547/Why-garden-Master-Gardeners-offer-a-Top-Ten-list
http://www.mnn.com/your-home/organic-farming-gardening/stories/infographic-home-gardening-in-the-us
9. Nature Hike + Picnic
Gather your dorm or floor and go on a nature hike. It doesn’t really matter where you go: check out a natural area on campus or go to a nearby park or nature trail.
-Here are some ideas:
-Bring a Frisbee or soccer ball.
-Check out bird, flower, and tree guides at the library.
-Create a simple scavenger hunt.
-Bring along some sustainable snacks and have a picnic. (Ideas: Nature’s Path Granola, Guayaki Yerba Mate, chips and guacamole, food from Chipotle, etc)
10. Recycling Bins as Art
A great way to promote recycling is to make it fun, as well
as more visible. Paint the recycling bins on campus for a fun, artistic activity. Ask your school’s service or maintenance department beforehand so you know which bins are okay to decorate. Also ask them for paint and brushes. They should have some unused items sitting around. If that fails, ask Res Life or other student groups if they have some supplies. This event may need to be run over a few days, to allow the paint to dry between coats. On the first day paint the base layer, add another layer on the second day, and eventually paint the topcoat with designs. To make this event educational, provide information about what can and cannot be recycled on campus and the benefits of recycling. If you’d like, get multiple student groups involved and make it a competition!
http://www.ehow.com/how_7922319_decorate-recycling-bins.html
11. Energy Off Party
Host an “energy- off” party for your dorm to remind students that many fun activities don’t require energy. Depending on whether you host the party during the day or the evening, your event can involve different activities. For daytime parties, encourage students to enjoy the outdoors. Set up various games such as volleyball, Frisbee, and tag. For evening parties play board games with a flashlight, tell scary stories, or play flashlight tag. Provide some healthy and sustainable snack options and let the students relax and meet new friends. Calculate the approximate amount of energy, money, and/or CO2 emissions saved while the power was off during your party and announce it at the end. Give students tips on how to save energy in the dorms: http://www.brandeis.edu/campussustainability/energy/resenergytips.html
http://www.unl.edu/unlpub/special/energy/
12. Recycle Art Contest
Bring in a pile of clean recyclable items (rescued from recycling bins!) such as cardboard boxes, bottles, cans, paper, etc. Form students into teams and instruct them to design and create one useful or decorative/artistic item from objects in the pile. Provide supplies such as staples, glue, scissors, tape, etc. for students to build with. Give the teams a time limit and set a timer. Allow them to work up until the last team is finished or until the timer goes off. Have each team present their creation to the judges (can be RAs or other staff) and select the top entry for a prize. Display the top creations in the dorm common area.
http://www.recyclart.org/
http://mentalfloss.com/article/13046/11-artists-doing-amazing-things-recycled-materials
http://pinterest.com/jvanders/recycled-art-ideas/
13. Bath and Body Bingo
Cheat sheet:
Explanation:
This game is a creative way to teach your residents about the harmful chemicals in our bath and body products. Start the event by showing “The Story of Cosmetics”, a great online video describing the effects of the “toxins in, toxins out” practice employed by the cosmetics industry. Then, start the game of BINGO! Read each definition and let students fill in the blanks on their cards. Once someone gets five in a row, they may pick a prize sponsored by organic companies like Acure, Aubrey Organics, Dr. Bronner’s, Juice Beauty, Desert Essence and more! (TTG can help with some giveaways).
Materials:
- Bingo Cards
- Organic candy to cover cards or small recycled cardboard squares
- Prizes (Suggestions Above)
- Definitions
- HDMI Cable
- Laptop to play “Story of Cosmetics”
- TV screen
Resources:
http://www.health.ny.gov/environmental/indoors/voc.htm
http://www.naturalnews.com/029114_triclosan_antibacterial_soap.html
http://www.controlyourimpact.com/articles/antiperspirant-aluminum-and-alzheimers-disease/
http://notjustaprettyface.org/blog/the-dose-makes-the-poison-we-know-better-now
http://www.cosmeticscop.com/cosmetic-ingredient-dictionary/definition/500/disodium-lauriminodipropionate-tocopheryl-phosphates.aspx
http://www.fda.gov/Cosmetics/ProductandIngredientSafety/ProductTesting/ucm072268.htm
Definitions to read (or come up with some of your own):
VOC- Commonly found in nail polish, high levels of some VOCs have caused cancer and affected the liver, kidney and nervous system. You can usually smell this.
Phosphates – Usually something that ends in “phosphates” is dangerous, not because phosphate is dangerous, but it is usually a component in preservatives that in low dosages can have harmful effects.