If you are a university administrator and your students or colleagues have told you about Green Impact Campaign, you are probably wondering what you can do to support your students as they participate in this competition. Well we at GIC have done a lot of reflecting on the subject too. So here are six things you can do as an administrator that could help your students make the most of the competition and win.
1. Draw attention to the competition online — Chances are, if you work in any aspect of student life or support student groups on campus, your department has a presence on social media.
This competition has great potential to have positive impact in your community, inspiring students to get involved, getting them hyped can only increase the potential impact their participation can make in the communities surrounding your school.
2. Collaborate with other university advisors — Social media isn’t the only outlet that can get students excited either. Student news publications, both online and in print — like schools newspapers — could also be excellent outlets for increasing student engagement, especially if these publications are looking for extra content!
Reach out to faculty and staff that supervise these groups and see if a writer would be willing to highlight the upcoming competition, or the work students are doing to in the community during the competition.
3. Encourage the heart — Even after the competition kicks off, students could use the encouragement and support of their university community.
Spotlighting students on your departmental webpage and social media accounts during the competition shows students that their departments, advisors, and mentors are proud of the work they are doing. Taking pride in your students’ goals and accomplishments can serve as a powerful motivator, especially with a 7-week competition window.
4. Offer your community connections — You work at your school year round, so you know the surrounding community well. And if you have been there for years, you have undoubtedly built relationships and connections with local businesses and organizations that operate near your campus.
Not knowing where to start or which businesses to contact can make for an intimidating start for students. Offer to be a sounding board for your students. Help them brainstorm which business to reach out to. How they want to reach out. What to say. Or even how to follow up and maintain the relationships they forge with business owners in the process.
5. Let them practice with you — Again, the first audits students complete can be nerve-wracking. Offer to let them practice their initial pitches on your staff, or give them an opportunity to do a mock audit at your office.
Even if your office doesn’t fall into the small business model that GEMs targets, just walking through the office with the audit materials can help calm students’ nerves before approaching businesses.
6. Attend the assessment training session — By going to GIC’s training session with your students, you will be equipped with the same information they will.
This is probably the best way you can support your students. You will be able to act as an informed sounding board and cheerleader, because you will know exactly what kind of service your students will be offering to businesses in your community.
Have questions or other ideas? Feel free to contact us to discuss other ways you can help students make the most of their involvement.
GIC provides students will the tools and resources necessary to perform free energy assessments for small businesses in their community. Helping to better serve our communities, and lend our knowledge to the places we love.