FURG) the EDUCATIONAL and OUTREACH GROUP (Em) the DATA ANALYSIS GROUP @AG) the SECRIXARY and DOCUMENTATION GROUP (SEDG)
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I ECOLYMPICS TABLE OF CONTENTS PAGE INTRODUCTION 1 WHO IS THIS PACKET DESIGNED FOR? HOW TO USE THIS PACKET ECOLYMPICS PROGRAM DESCRIPTION 2 GETTING STARTED 3 ORGANIZING THE ECOLYMPICS COMMITI'EE 4- 11 COMMITTEE CHECKLIST RESPONSIBILITIES OF: THE CONTACTS AND INFOWTION GROUP (GIG) THE FUNDRAISING AND RECORDS GROUP (FURG) THE EDUCATIONAL AND OUTREACH GROUP (Em) THE DATA ANALYSIS GROUP @AG) THE SECRIXARY AND DOCUMENTATION GROUP (SEDG) TIMELINE 12 HANDLING THE DATA 13 - 14 HOLDING A MEETING 15 - 16 AGENDA EXAMPLE LETTER WRITING 17 - 20 HELPFUL HINTS FOR WRITING LETTERS CONTACTS FOR ENVIRONMENTAL ISSUE AWARENESS DIRECTORY OF THE 102 UNlTED STATES CONGRESS EDUCATIONAL RESOURCES 21 -28 VISUAL AVAILABLE LITERATURE FLYERS AND POSTERS 29 FLYER FOR THE HOUSING RESIDENTS INFORMATIONAL CLEARINGHOUSES UW-MADISON WSTERS HARVARD ENVIRONMENTAL NETWORK "EARTHSTEPS" MISCELLANEOUS EXAMPLE OF RECEIPTS AND ECOLYMPICS LETTERHEAD INTRODUCTION Ecolympics is PO *trmp to reverse the stemming tide of wasteful practices in our environment. It is a comprehensive, studeot coordinated event in which college dormitories compete against each other to reduce their use of nsturpl resources. Ecolympics has two main goals: 1. To help sludents and university staff become more aware of their impact on the environmeot. 2. To educate all participants on how to better comeme their natural resources. In attempting to accomplish these goals, not only does Ecolympics help to conserve resources now, but also, prepares individuals so they can continue to conserve in the tuture. WHO IS THIS PACKET DESIGNED FOR? This packet is designed for those students and faculty who are interested in preserving their environment and wish to create an Ecolympics program on their campus. The packet is designed to aid interested students, faculty and staff in every step of the process required to complete a successful Ecolympics. It is also a packet representing an immense amount of work. A successful Ecolympics project can easily consume a few hundred hours of work, and there is no limit to where you can take it. Individuals who work with Ecolympics can expect great rewards as well. Organizers and participants gain valuable experience in the many academic and personal skills required to conduct thii project. All in all, this packet is designed for hard working individuals willing to benefit themselves and their environment. HOW TO USE THIS PACKET 1. This packet contains the necessary materials and information you will need to start and complete a succesfd Ecolympics program on your campus. 2. Ibe contmo of this packet can be used directly in your program or as guides in developing your own mataials. For example, you may use the enclosed flyers, posters, and newspaper adVeftisemsn*lin your program simply by duplicating or copying them. 3. Read all the material thoroughly. It is important to have a good understanding of the goals and scope of the project. The group can then take the initiative to interpret and develop their own program. 'Ihia packet only provides the general pieces to the Ecolympics puzzle. 4. Look at and uae the provided educational resourm in this packet as your own library, and make them available to all the participants of the competition. Don't be afraid to add to these resources or to create your own. 5. Follow the enclosed timeline to help guide the progression of your group's activities. Ecolympics is a pyramid project. There are essential steps that must be taken before others can be attempted. 6. Investigate the possible sources of funding listed in this packet with any others available to your university. 'Ibe Wigsources listed here are only general suggestions and not mandatory or expected to be definite contributors in any way. 7. Use the group organizational description as a guide. It will help the group to form more quickly and more evenly distribute the work-load (and fun). 1 ECOLYMPICS PROGRAM DESCRIPTION Ecolympics is a large scale project designed to achieve large scale results. It entails the cooperation of many individuals and the time and dedication of its organizers. Moreover, Ecolympics is fun, ad well as good for the environment. Ecolympics is a competition among the residence halls. The concept is simple. The hall which reduces their use of natural resources by the greatest percentage wins. Residence halls &em@ to comenatural resources by modifying their use of heat, water, and electricity, and by reducing their waste stream through reuse, and recycling. Note, there are many variations to what can be conserved, for example, electricity, coal, gas, oil, water, trees and natural habitats. The duration of the competition is approximately six month, from Novemba 1st to April 22ad (Earth Day). Before the competition begins, the first two months of the semester are spent organizing, gathering and distributing promotional materials, obtaining financial support, collecting data, and meeting with university administrators. The most crucial period of the compuition are these first two months. It is important that the students are well informed of Ecolympics Mreit stuts. Ecolympics is primariiy an educational tool. As stated in the introduction, one of the major goals is to educate the students on how they can conserve. For this purpose, the compeMion allows halls to requeut and to expect educational presentations, movies, seminars, informational faa she&, and flyers. Thee educational resources reveal to the students how they can conserve and win. Halls cm gain "ecopoint8" by anending and requestiug educational events and materials for their halls. 'Lhesc eco-pinu hcrp improve their chances of winning. Therefore, halls will compete not only to conserve the most natural remxces, but will alw compete to learn the most about natural rc5ource ~0nsavsti0n. Prizes for the winning halls can vary. On the Madison campus the winning dormitob received a tree, a trophy, and a free party for the entire hall. Also, monthly winners were awarded free ice cream parties. Next year a portion of the energy money saved due to Ecolympics is going to be dedicated to providing bigger and better prizes. Other grand prize idea such as a free dance and dmer for the winning hall have been considered. All of these prizes provide incentives for asdents to comenatural resources, and as a result, help to educate the students about the environment. Ecolympics saves money. The Ecolympics competition has the potential of saving University Housing several thousand dollars in costs. If the use of natural reaourced are significantly reduced, tAe fees for electricity, water, heat, and possibly waste removal will fall as wdl. A succcsBfuI Ecolympics project could save the students money on future housing bills, or provide larger prizes for future oompetitions. Thus, Ecolympics can save your university money while it aids the envirOamea ad educatw the students. Finally. students of otber Ecolympics have found the competition to be very sdf-rewarding. It brings students together and gives them something to boast about. The framework of Eoolympics is bad on _. the students themselves. It is designed to give students more control over their own environment. Student organizers of the event come in closer contact with their housing officials in r@&g how they live. ?a9 must work with their housing administraton to get propa authoriurion Snd help in inSththg conservation events and equipment (i.e. installing energy efficient showa herds and lights). Ecolympics - puts more power into the hands of the students, making them more'comfortable in what is usually their fmt home away from home. For the organizers, Ecolympics solicits the w of mrny disciplines, allowing students to tine tune theu orgaddinal, social, business. statistical, and wdia skills. All in all, Ecolympics is fun, saves money, helps the environment and enriches the students themselves. 2 GETTING STARTED The key to starting an Ecolympics on your campus is spreading the idea. The first thing that needs to be done is to examine. all available information about the Ecolympics projsct. Then, look closely at your campus to see how it can be applied. Since every campus is different, and because Ecolympics is a very flexible idea, it can be stylized to address the different ecological aspects of almost any university. Once you are familiar with the genexal aspects and goals of Ecolympics begin spreading the idea. Informing people about Ecolympics is easy and consumes little time. Simply go to the different student organizations on your campus, attend some of their meetings, and put up a few posters (there are examples of these in the back of thii packet). Also, if your campus has a student organizations' fair try to get a table. At these times, notify people of the lirst organizational meeting. This step will help to build a body of interested individuals. It is important that this is done early in the semester. Examples of a meeting agenda for the fist three meetings is included in the "Meetings" seaion of this packet. This agenda is included to save time and intended to get your Ecolympics off to a good start. Use this agenda as a guide and improvise as you feel necessary. Everything will start to come together once the Ecolympics committee is fomed and the sub-groups are working. A detailed summary of the objectives for each pup is contained in the next section of this packet. Early in the semester, the most important objectives will be to publicize Ecolympics extensively among the students and to obtain financial support for the competition. The week before your contest begins, run as many newspaper advertisements, and distribute as my articles, posters, flya and buttons as possible. Materials should also be sent to Housefellows @.A's), asking them to notify their residents during house meetings. An example of a generalized flyer for both the residents and the R.A.'s is contained in the POSTERS AND FLYERS section of this packet.