GREEN IMPACTHandy hints to help you through

2015/16

GREEN IMPACT PROJECT ASSISTANTSGIPAs

Green Impact Project Assistants

Students from a wide range of disciplines at the University are interested in environmental issues and positive action. Green Impact Project Assistants (GIPAs) are student volunteers, keen to get involved with environmental projects. Volunteers provide an extra pair of hands for your team and a fresh perspective on the workbook, helping your team throughout the course of the Green Impact cycle.

Recruitment

Students from all across the University apply to become Green Impact Project Assistants. Successful applicants are invited to a 3 hour training session where Green Impact along with our NUS Project Officer, introduce them to the Green Impact programme and provide practical training on the workbook.Green Impact will contact teams shortly after the 2015/16 launch event in the autumn providing information on how to request student help. Your team will be sent this form, also available on the GI Sheffield General Resources page. Just fill it out and return it to Green Impact as soon as you can.

Team Allocation

Green Impact matches GIPAs to their teams depending upon the specific tasks both team and students would like to carry out, the skills they would like to gain or a request to work in the same department.

Teams can request to have more than one student to help them out with Green Impact and similarly, if students feel more confident working with a partner, two GIPAs can be allocated to a team.

First Steps

Students will be in contact shortly after they have been allocated to a team to arrange a first face-to-face meeting. Green Impact may also hold an initial meet and greet for GIPAs and their teams OR help to arrange an initial meeting if required. This initial introduction will allow you to find out a bit about your student and share with them the achievements and hopes of your team. You could set out how often you will meet and some tasks that the student could be involved in initially to get things started.

Volunteer role

Student volunteers commit to around an hour a week for Green Impact but, are free to put in more time to the role if they would like to.

Around busy periods such as exam time, students may find it difficult to commit this time to their role and as such, the role is flexible. Make sure you keep in touch with your GIPA and are aware of their exam schedule or when they have busy times during the year and may not be able to help out.

Skills for studentsStudents can gain a host of new skills from their direct involvement with an environmental initiative, helping with personal and professional development. Find out if there is anything specific your student would like to learn or be involved in or any skills they specifically would like to gain. Skills could include:

Experience working on a national project in a professional environment; knowledge of environmental management techniques; insight into effective behaviour change methods; ability to support and encourage others; leadership skills; project management experience; communications; increased knowledge of environmental issues; team working abilities; increased confidence; time management and organisation.

Example TasksThe role of a Green Impact Project Assistant is flexible and exact tasks are down to what your team needs help with and what a student wants to be involved in!

To help you out a bit, on the next NUMBER slides are some example tasks that students could complete. The tasks on the next slides are a guide and if you come up with something that isn’t on the list, that’s great!

Students are here to both help out your team and develop professionally from the experience. Whilst students can of course help you out with some of the less interesting tasks, such as uploading evidence to the workbook or sticking stickers to light switches, they need a balance and should be involved in other tasks too that they can gain more from, such as communications or event organisation.

• Helping you to complete any given criteria in the workbook• Example criteria could include but are not limited to light switch stickers;

• Uploading comments and evidence to the workbook• Collecting evidence• E.g. taking photos, collecting emails, collecting newsletters, getting quotes

from staff

• Creating communications• This could include posters, newsletters, emails, website information, blog

posts, creating a case study of a project you have undertaken

Example Tasks

• Helping to get students involved with the work of your department• This could be by helping to communicate the work of your department out into the

student community; getting student volunteers to help out with an event or campaign; a joint project with students for a Special Award/Project Bank task

• Organising an event• Students could organise an event perhaps for Fairtrade Fortnight or Earth Day or get

involved in a charity initiative or environmental awareness event.

• Organising a campaign• Students can bring a fresh perspective to help with a campaign. If people still aren’t

turning the lights off in your office, can your student help?

• Helping with something for the Project Bank• Gives them a chance to get involved in something

• Coming up with creative solutions to problems!

Example Tasks

• Participating in team meetings• This could involve leading a meeting; creating a meeting agenda; taking and

circulating minutes; contributing to team meetings

• Identifying which Bonus criteria your department could tackle • There are lots of criteria to choose from and you need to reach 250 points for

Gold. A student could help identify which criteria to target.

• Collaborating with GIPAs from other teams to help share ideas and best practice• Motivating your team or helping to gain new recruits

Example Tasks

The role is highly beneficial for students in terms of personal and professional development and can provide teams with fresh

perspective and another pair of enthusiastic hands!

If you still have questions about the role, please contact Green Impact