Harnessing the Capability of Scientists to Influence and Motivate Change:
an overview of the new Eco Leader Advancement Program
at the University of Colorado Boulder
Christina Greever
Former CU Green Labs Program Assistant & Outreach Coordinator
Learning Objectives
• Identify strategies/activities/tactics that might help engage more with scientists;
• Articulate the goals that were laid out for each of the three levels of the Eco Leader Advancement Program;
• Understand some of the concerns about this program that were raised by our existing Eco Leaders, and how the program was changed to reflect those considerations; and
• Implement the parts of this program that are feasible and attractive at attendee's own institution.
Vision
Research and teaching labs of the future at CU Boulder will be more efficient, produce less waste, use fewer resources, and promote a culture of sharing more so than they do today in 2019. This is accomplished through developing sustainability leaders within the laboratory.
GoalEco Leaders take advantage of a self-paced “curriculum” to develop their knowledge of laboratory sustainability issues, make improvements within their own laboratory, and influence their peers. Through this experience, they create a more sustainable laboratory and reduce costs for the University of Colorado Boulder.
• “the eyes, ears, voice of conservation in the lab”
• Not much formal training
• Invited to participate in Green Labs initiatives, events, contests
• Monthly communications through newsletter
• Eco Leaders engage with Green Labs however they wish
• Ad hoc lab outreach to identify Eco Leaders
Former Eco Leader Program
Benefits of Participating for Eco Leaders
• Knowledge!
• Resume-builder, providing a way to stand out from the crowd
• Access to a network of other scientists improving their labs across campus
• Reducing the environmental impact of research
• Public recognition of efforts
• PIPs are Positive Impact Points - a ‘currency of change’ - that are earned and redeemed for verifiable daily life behaviors that benefit the planet, community and personal health.
• Behaviors are tracked and rewarded via the PIPs Rewards App that has been customized for CU Boulder students.
Another Benefit: PIPs Rewards!
Benefits to CU Green Labs
• Eco Leaders are more engaged with existing Green Labs Program
• Standardized structure• Better able to pass on knowledge/awareness to the Eco Leaders
through this program than through ad-hoc interactions
• Improved laboratory sustainability on campus
Community-Based Social Marketing (CBSM)
• An approach to promoting behavior change based on research in social psychology. Can be effectively used for behaviors related to:
• Sustainability• Health• Safety & Injury Prevention
• Identifies barriers to behavior change before applying strategies to promote lasting change
• Read about it: Fostering Sustainable Behavior: An Introduction to Community Based Social Marketing by Dr. Doug McKenzie Mohr – 3rd Edition
Key Features of Eco Leader Advancement Program (ELAP)
• Utilizing CBSM strategies
• 3 levels, plus one area of optional actions
• Designed keeping Green Labs professional staff time in mind –most interactions can be facilitated by a student
• Using Canvas, a platform already in use at CU Boulder
• Recognizing the individual, not the lab – this builds in continuous improvement
• Recognize advancement of Eco Leaders at Campus Sustainability Summit in the spring (public, personal recognition)
Framework
• Eco Leader expresses interest
• Short intake survey (website)
• Self-enrollment in Canvas course
• Initial visit to lab
• Delivery of prompts
• Delivery of poster for outside their
lab door
• Equipment timers
CBSMPrompts
CBSMIncentive
CBSMSocial Norming
Intake Survey
Prompts
Eco Leaders earn Achievements
Collect from a nearby location
Adhere to poster outside lab door
CBSMSocial Norming
Level 1 – Eco Leader In-Training
• Baseline Knowledge
• Commitment
Level 1 – Eco Leader In-Training
CBSMCommitment
Level 2 – Intermediate Eco Leader
• Intercultural Development of Self
• Laboratory Self-Assessment
• Making Changes
Level 2 – Intermediate Eco Leader
• Program is being piloted at CU Boulder with students & staff
• Helps you think about and define your own culture
• Identify where you are along the IDI Continuum
• Debrief with a Qualified Administrator at CU Boulder
• It’s difficult to discuss social justice topics if one hasn’t thought about their own culture, privilege, and their communication tendencies with people who are similar/different
• https://idiinventory.com/
Intercultural Development Inventory
Lab Assessment CBSMSocial Diffusion
Lab Assessment
• Borrowing features from Lab Assessments at University of Virginia, Duke, Harvard, My Green Lab, others
• This is an area we haven’t delved into much before
• Not asking for same actions across the board in a lab – the important thing is change and improvement
• Areas: energy, water, waste, green chemistry, equipment/space sharing, field research, miscellaneous topics
• Discussion post about one action a scientist took for their Lab Assessment
• They can see others’ actions once they post to discussion
• Eventually some of these will go up on the Green Labs website!
Trendsetter
CBSMSocial Norming
Level 3 – Certified Eco Leader
• System-Level Change
• Additional Lab Changes
• One of the Optional Achievements
Level 3 – Certified Eco Leader
Systems changes
necessary to make
laboratories more
sustainable beyond
energy, water, waste,
etc.
Influencing Systems
• BETR Grants
• ACT Label & Sustainable Procurement
• Shared Equipment and Shared Space
Optional Achievements• Section created because we liked these Achievements,
but they aren’t relevant or possible for every lab/scientist.
• Thinking about barriers to progress through the Eco Leader Advancement Program
• Campus Sustainability Summit each April
• Public, positive recognition
• Recognition for completing one or more of the program levels • In-Training
• Intermediate
• Certified
Annual Recognition
What’s happening currently?
• Pilot by ~5 individuals, mostly in biochemistry
• Seeking feedback & working out the kinks of Canvas
• Publicized Eco Leader Advancement Program widely during graduate student orientations (~150 grad students)
• Still printing up some PROMPT materials, Achievement stickers
• Training new student assistants to provide support for program
• In next couple months, we’ll open it up to any Eco Leaders that want to participate
Feedback from Scientists during Development
• Make sure terminology not too juvenile • Picked “Achievements” instead of “Badges”
• Requested incentives to motivate scientists to participate• Couldn’t afford giving cash to labs for supplies/equipment• But, incorporated PIPs Rewards into program
• Concerns that some Achievements weren’t achievable for some scientists/labs
• Neighbor communication as optional Achievement• Many concerns stem from lab culture• Built-in flexibility – scientists can contact us with issues
• Start at the Beginning• Actions focus on what an Eco Leader is• Actions focus on the basics of sustainability
Improvements Ideas for ELAP 2.0
• Include computing (and related efficiency actions) in the lab assessment
• Better integrate EH&S and Facilities Management (two of our partners)
• Development of a video about what an Eco Leader is and how to serve in that role.
• Develop a special program track that could accommodate Building Managers/Research Support Staff
• Lab Safety section of ELAP?
Take-Aways of Eco Leader Advancement
• Eco Leaders will have a more structured path to follow to engage with CU Green Labs over a longer period of time
• Certifying individuals instead of labs so that continuous improvement happens naturally with lab turnover
• ELAP will be improved over time as we receive feedback and add to the existing framework
Acknowledgments
Kathy Ramirez-Aguilar
Barbara Petkus
Carla Roubaud
Michelle Gabrieloff-Parish
Erica Au
Erika Guth
Adrien Horton
Jan Hu
Jackson Kistler
Ziyu Li
Priya Panati
Claire Perez
Ivy Wingfield
Elizabeth Stoneham
David Simpson
Theresa Nahreini
Laura Maguire
Alison White
Benjamin LaFavor
Teisha Rowland
Tom Rivas
Neil Hendren
Camille Paige
Julie Hayes
Spencer Turk
Ashley Grosh
Amy Moreno
Allen Doyle
Amorette Getty
Questions?