Strategies for Change

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Strategies for Change

• Debra Rowe, Ph.D.Higher Ed Sector Co-chairU.S.
  Partnershipwww.uspartnership.org Senior
  FellowUniversity Leaders for a Sustainable
  Futurewww.ulsf.orgdgrowe_at_oaklandcc.edu

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CurriculaKEY CONCEPTS PREMISE

• Educators should teach students how to be
• socially, economically and environmentally
  responsible
• active citizens
• as part of the required curricula

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Goal All students engaged as effective change
agents in our sustainability challengesFrom
apathy involvement.Students need to know
that their daily decisions affect the quality of
life of people around the globe
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Skills for Educators and Students

• 1) Teach/learn sustainable development literacy
• 2) Teach/learn optimism skills (Seligman)
• 3) Teach/learn efficacy tell stories of normal
  people making a difference
• 4) Teach/learn interpersonal and intrapersonal
  intelligences
• 5) Teach/learn futuring skills and change agent
  skills

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For all, the following web sites are
recommended

• Good overview www.abetterfuture.org
• How to be a green and socially responsible
  consumer www.coopamerica.org
• Ecological Footprint Quiz www.myfootprint.org
• Native Energy www.nativeenergy.com
• Global Exchange
• www.globalexchange.org

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For all of the below,www.coopamerica.org
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For all educators, the following web sites are
recommended

• Teaching and Learning for a Sustainable Future (A
  UNESCO site)http//www.unesco.org/education/tlsf/
  
• Heroes at The Giraffe Project -www.giraffe.org
• University Leaders for a Sustainable Future -
  www.ulsf.org
• Sustainability Education Handbook -
  www.urbanoptions.org/SustainEdHandbook
• We Can Afford to Solve the Worlds Problems - The
  World Game Institute - 18 strategies for
  confronting the major systemic problems
  confronting humanity- http//www.unesco.org/educat
  ion/tlsf/theme_a/mod02/www.worldgame.org/wwwprojec
  t/index.shtml

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We Can Afford to Solve the Worlds Major
Problems
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A Few of the Many Energy Resources

• ONLINE courses on energy efficiency, solar, wind
  power, homemade and manufactured systems,
  alternative transportation, fuel cells and more
  at Oakland Community College contact me at
  dgrowe_at_oaklandcc.edu
• US Department of Energys Energy Efficiency and
  Renewable Energy home page - http//www.eere.ener
  gy.gov/consumerinfo
• Smart Communities Network - http//www.sustainable
  .doe.gov
• U.S. Green Building Council - http//www.usgbc.org
  /

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Utilize outside stakeholders and powerful cross
sector collaboration Examples

• STUDENTS AND..
• Businesses
• City government Many mayors ahead of Higher
  Education
• Alumni

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Key strategies to build the perceived critical
mass (cont.)

• Framing
• Mentoring with administrators (gaining access to
  funds and authority)
• Faculty - Identifying influencers and asking for
  help
• Updated world view, in multiple courses as well
  as part of core
• Combine diversity and global learning and service
  learning and environmental sub-groups

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Key strategies to build the perceived critical
mass (cont.)

• 6. Reducing territoriality
• a. Environmental Scanning
• b. Key Question for faculty brainstorming to
  form Gen Ed outcomes What do our students need
  to be successful in their adult roles of career
  person, family member and community member?
• 7. Handling difficult people
• 8. Sculpting, swaying and counting the votes

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Key strategies to build the perceived critical
mass (cont.)

• 9. Positioning the initiative as the least
  threatening choice
• 10. Key places to place it and institutionalize
  it Mission, Strategic Planning, Gen Ed,
  Orientation, Curricula Review, First Year
  Experience, Student Life
• 11. Preventing burnout

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Preventing Burnout - The ABCs Ask for help -
Build Support Systems - Celebrate the Baby Steps
of Success Dream big! - Eliminate Griping Move
to Problem Solving Foster Self-care, Physical
Mental Health Get Flexible and Take a
Multi-pronged Long-term Approach Humor those who
participate - Involve everyone affected by
decisions Jazz up meetings with creativity - Keep
on keepin on to get energy Laugh a lot - Make
light of problems - Nature is renewing connect
with it! Open your eyes and heart to the beauty
around you Picture your joy when the tide starts
to turn Quit worrying! - Re-live past successes
to renew commitment Say the kind things every
time you think of one - Thank all who
helped Understand that slow beats stop -
Visualize the joy of success Wait with confidence
that your ship will come in Xerox a joke of the
day with your logo to hand out Yell a little,
just for fun Zealously assure yourself a good
nights rest every night! Thanks to Norma T
Bauer
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Skills Be An Agent of Change

• Request a new norm
• Brown bag lunches wherever you are
• Im wondering
• Stuart Hart, Jeff Sachs, Prahalad, McDonough,
  Loeb
• THINK and ACT BIG!!!

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Use the media strategically

• As often as possible
• Create new angles
• Multiple avenues for multiple audiences

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Conclusions

• Learn systems thinking and change agent skills
• Model life long learning and change agent
  identities
• You are creating the future with your
  consumption, investment and community decisions.
  
• Our commitments can produce better decisions and
  behaviors, through education, modeling and more.
• Successful precedents/materials can assist you
• Share what you do nationally.

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We can choose
our future
or
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The Power of What You Do

• We are leaders in the world
• We can choose a sustainable future

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Congratulations for all you have done.

• Congratulations for all you will do in the
  future.
• Let our enthusiasm show!