This year, the Center for Service and Sustainability, the Leahy Center, and the SMART Space launched a pilot of Micro-Endorsements, a new opportunity for Champlain undergraduate students. Micro-Endorsements are a credential to demonstrate a particular skill set to be highlighted on a student’s digital resume or LinkedIn profile. As a non-credit-bearing credential, Micro-Endorsements are a “value-add” to students and do not cost additional tuition dollars.
The three Micro-Endorsements are Systems Administrator, Sustainability, and Master Tutor as part of a collaboration with the Centers of Experience. This Spring semester, SMART Space employees, Leahy Center employees, and Eco-Reps will Learn, Do, and Showcase their skills.
The Sustainability Micro-Endorsement includes five competencies, that were adapted from those developed and outlined in the EFS Rubric from Shelburne Farms:
- Understands communities; Knows systems within human and natural communities: I work with others to improve our campus/community.
- Knows cycles of human and natural communities: I contribute to care of the built and natural environments of the campus/community.
- Understands interdependence of human and natural systems: My choices and actions reflect my understanding of how our plants, animals and people affect and depend on each other.
- Feels ability to make a difference: I take action to improve the quality of life in our community that helps natural and/or human systems.
- Feels connected to place and community: I analyze what I observe on my own to guide my behavior; I learn from connections between my communities and others; my actions demonstrate understanding of how we are/have become a community and ecosystem.
Champlain College student Eco-Reps learned about a variety of sustainability topics through regularly attending weekly meetings, worked as peer educators throughout the semester, and showcased some of their learning through a presentation to the entire Eco-Rep team called “Sustainability in Your Field”. These presentations brought together sustainability and the students’ major / field.
Hanna Blankenship ’24 Law & Business Administration: Sustainability in the Legal Profession
Adam Dionne ’21 Game Art & Animation & Erin Oakley ’23 Game Art & Animation: Sustainability in the Game Industry
Cecelia Dukes ’24 Accounting: Sustainability in Accounting
Emma Florez ’23 Professional Writing: Sustainability in the Magazine Industry
Brigid Florian ’24 Creative Media: Sustainability in the Publication and Design Workforce
Quincy Gomes-Cedeno ’24 Game Programming: Sustainability in the Field of Computer Science
Angie Morales ’22 Law: Sustainability & Law
Silvanna Najri ’21 Marketing: Sustainable Marketing
Lizbeth Reyes ’23 Visual Communication Design: Sustainability in Marketing
Kiley Stearns ’23 Marketing: Sustainability in Psychology
Sawyer Zundel ’23 Computer & Digital Forensics: Sustainability in Cyber Security & Digital Forensics