STRATEGY
Benefits for current students Thanks to Back to School for the Planet, the student learning experience can be enhanced in several ways: 1. First-hand accounts of how the sustainability strategies and concepts being taught may play out – or may have already been executed – in the professional world are integrated into the classroom discussion, thanks to presence of alumni with experience in the field. 2. A strong link is created between current students and participating alumni, leading to potential networking and employment opportunities. 3. A new type of collaborative environment emerges that is intergenerational and bridges the academic and professional world in a dynamic way.
Scalability Back to School for the Planet is highly transferable and scalable thanks to the widespread transition to online and hybrid education seen in many regions of the world. Schools that wish to do so (particularly those without online learning capabilities) can invite alumni to participate in their new sustainability- focused educational offering in person. The only requirement for institutions interested in participating is to have introduced new courses or activities in sustainability – something that is becoming increasingly common due to the rise in education for sustainable development (ESD) in recent years. Given that stakeholder engagement will drive the development of the initiative, we have provided a helpful table for getting your school on board:
Back to School for the Planet from a stakeholder perspective
Stakeholder Group
Motivations
Ease
Dean, School Management Team
• Innovative lifelong learning offering for alumni, which can also aid recruitment • Expanded reach of sustainability efforts already in place
• Low consumption of internal resources • Low incremental costs of adding limited number of alumni to already existing activities
Faculty
• Spotlight on sustainability teaching already taking place • Enriched classroom experience • Experience in innovative lifelong learning methods • Updated skills from an institution they trust • Strengthened connection with alma mater • Back to School for the Planet certificate and network • Strengthened links with alumni • First-hand insight from industry professionals within the learning environment • Experience with an innovative lifelong learning method that they can choose to benefit from once they graduate • Trusted sustainability training available for employees who are graduates from participating Schools
• Flexibility in number of alumni participating • Flexibility in format (low vs. high alumni engagement – see figure, p21) • Facilitated access thanks to virtual participation options
Alumni
• Potential classroom disruptions are curbed by Back to School for the Planet Code of Conduct for participating alumni • Access to Back to School for the Planet network • Companies can rest assured that graduates of participating Schools have sustainability training available to them and that their skills will be updated by their Schools in the future • Adapted to new working habits (flexible working hours and home office)
Students
Recruiters, Corporate Stakeholders
Any stakeholder can spark change by encouraging implementation of Back to School for the Planet at an institution they care about.
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Ambition | BE IN BRILLIANT COMPANY
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