After completing a course at Capilano University, a group of students now have the ability to change the world.
Prof. Joe Kelly created Project Change, where 23 students, in groups of two or three, accepted the responsibility of impacting a community of at least 20 people through such programs as clothing drives, organizing car pools and creating socially conscious public art projects all the while measuring their progress every step of the way.
"When you get a good idea ... if you're not tracking the performance metrics you have no way of determining if you've achieved success," Kelly said. "It's that old axiom: You can't improve what you don't measure."
In one case, a pair of second-year students delivered more than 100 clothing items to aid the SPCA.
"These are 19- and 20-year-olds and for many of them getting out there, outside the university and interacting with communities can really open their eyes to what they're capable of achieving," he said.
Faculty of Capilano University's Tourism and Outdoor Recreation program plan to continue Project Change for second year-students next term and beyond.
CARPOOL@CAP
Students: Paul Carruthers, Nicky Thompson-Toth, Niki Arevalo
Mission: Create a carpool program for classmates and others at Capilano University. Carpools work best when participants live close together, abide by established etiquette and have a well-organized system.
Method: Participants marked their home on a map and completed a sign-up sheet indicating if they needed passengers or a driver
Objectives: To have 13 participants; to create a carpool guide for other programs to use
Results: 18 participants, 220 trips avoided; 1,126 kms saved; 154 litres of gas saved; $158.46 saved on fuel; 154,316 grams of CO2 reduced; carpool guide created Recommendations: Start planning earlier; Target broader community.
GIVE US YOUR JEANS
Students: Scott Mackay, Rob Fairbrother
Mission: "Give us Your Jeans Week" was a two-week rally to collect used jeans for youth and young adults residing in Greater Vancouver safe houses. Jeans are often the most in-demand article of clothing for this demographic. Objectives: To collect 50 pairs of jeans
Results: 54 pairs of jeans collected; Creative advertisements used, including a wearable ad for your backside
Recommendations: More advertising; Start planning earlier
COAT DRIVE
Students: Rob McCullough, Nick Ryall
Mission: For three weeks ending on Dec. 2, a winter coat drive was held at Capilano University. Warm winter gear was also collected. Cause promoted through word of mouth, Internet and posters. All gear was donated to the SPCA Winter Coat Drive which happened Dec. 10 at the corner of Main and Hastings.
Objectives:
To collect 20 coats; To collect 30 articles in all.
Results: 26 coats collected
93 articles of clothing collected in all (toques, gloves, coats, sweaters, fleeces, vests, pants) Recommendations: More advertising; Partner with other programs throughout the university
COFFEE CUP WASTE
Students: Annika Granander, Alix Davidson, Laura Collier
Mission: Create an art display from used coffee cups to make people aware of the waste produced by coffee cups. Students took a pledge to reduce their consumption of coffee cups by writing their name on the display.
Objectives: To inform students about the impact of disposable paper cups; To have students take a pledge to reduce their consumption of coffee cups; To create a large display to inform students about wasted paper cups
Results: 40 people signed pledge;
These people consume about 516 cups of coffee a year
Recommendations: More advertising; Provide an incentive like free coffee for those who use travel mugs
MEATLESS MONDAYS
Students: Erin Booth, Rachel Lunn Mission: Participants in "Meatless Mondays" pledged to eat a vegetarian diet once a week (Mondays) to support an environmentally positive lifestyle. Reducing meat consumption is not only good for your health, but also lessens our impact on water use and pollution, greenhouse gas emissions, soil erosion, and deforestation.
Objectives: To obtain at least 20 participants; To reduce the production of CO2; To reduce water usage; To have participants make a permanent change.
Results: 36 participants; 139 total Meatless Mondays; 417 Meatless Meals; 1,370 lbs of CO2 saved;
542,100 gallons of water saved Recommendations: Be proactive in recruiting and recording results every week; Increase advertising.
