Teaching Sustainability thru Interac"ve Systems Thinking Educa"on

Wholly Frijoles! Teaching Sustainability thru Interac3ve Systems Thinking Educa3on 2012-­‐2013 Advocates Coming Together Jill Ramirez, M.A., Coordinator of Sustainability EducaAon, Residence Life David Ward, Community Director Senior, Residence Life The University of Arizona Goals •  Understand the systems thinking framework •  Experience an innova3ve, educa3onal program that could be adapted for use on your campus •  Understand intersec3ons between sustainability and social jus3ce •  Understand how effec3vely systems thinking concepts can enhance sustainability and social jus3ce educa3on Sustainability Defined Perpetual and coopera3ve environmental, social, and economic systems Just how did we teach these? Wholly Frijoles! Rules •  Assign genera3ons •  Each genera3onal representa3ve brings their utensil to the beans •  All families have 10 seconds to simultaneously collect •  Utensils only! –  No cups in the cooler •  Return with your beans and keep in your family’s clear bin •  Process repeats with each genera3on Let’s Play! Making Sense of the Triple BoRom Line Systems Thinking What is a System? Any group of related, interdependent parts What is Systems Thinking? •  A way of thinking about the world and rela3onships •  An approach to problem solving •  Encourages an apprecia3on of dynamic rela3onships Habits of a Systems Thinker Understanding the Big Picture •  Remember to see the forest •  Maintain balance between the big picture and the details •  Think holis3cally Changing PerspecAves •  Use new perspec3ves to increase understanding •  Are you willing to be a liRle bit right and a liRle bit wrong? Consequences •  Consider both short AND long-­‐term consequences •  Can you accept “short-­‐term pain for long-­‐term gain”? Considering Cause-­‐and-­‐Effect •  Iden3fy the circular nature of complex cause-­‐and-­‐effect rela3onships •  What are the causal connec3ons? Interdependencies? Wholly Frijoles! and Students History •  Fortuitous beginnings •  Partnership with the School of Engineering and the Waters Founda3on •  Green Fund grant •  Experiment Experiment Design •  Strategically paired 22 undergraduate halls –  Based on size and culture •  Worked with students –  1 student coordinator and 4 student facilitators •  Hosted Wholly Frijoles! in the 11 treatment halls BaUle of the UAliAes •  Water and energy reduc3on compe33on •  Goal based—reduce by 15% to win •  Incen3ves –  Money for hall programs or ameni3es –  Two students win $25 gib cards to UA Bookstore •  Monitor usage –  September: Baseline –  October: Compe33on –  November: Long-­‐Term Impact AssumpAons •  Understanding impact mo3vates behavior change –  Theory of Planned Behavior (Ajzen, 1985) •  Similarly sized and cultured halls exhibit similar sustainability behaviors –  UA Residence Life: 80% first year students –  Poten3al for culture shibs •  Consistent experiences –  Different facilitators –  Different insights Results UAlity Cost Per Capita $36.00 $34.00 $32.00 $30.00 $28.00 Treatment $26.00 Control $24.00 $22.00 $20.00 September October November Lessons Learned •  Systems thinking enhances sustainability educa3on •  Promo3on is cri3cal •  Short-­‐term effec3veness QuesAons? For facilita3on instruc3ons, contact Jill Ramirez at [email protected]