When the weather gets nice it is hard to stay focused, especially if you have to spend most of your time in doors. It’s natural to get a little antsy towards the end of the academic year especially when that sun is shining brightly. Who wouldn’t rather be playing Frisbee or relaxing outside than sitting in a classroom?
Earth Day is celebrated in the month of April. In honor of Earth Day and to celebrate our residents need to get outside, I encourage you to engage your residents in purposeful fun activity, to enjoy the great outdoors and to show appreciation for our globe. Here are some ideas:
Clean up campus – Go around campus and clean up trash and pick-up cigarette butts.
Plant a tree-or flowers…get permission to plant more on your campus, perhaps near your residence hall. Have your residents make clay stones or sign a rock to dedicate the new greens. This can easily become a tradition.
Walk! – Stop those campus shuttles for a day and reduce emissions in the air. Have water stops along pathways to thank those using their feet and not carbon!
Go Canvas – Buy yards of canvas material and make bags that can be used for purchases in the bookstore or your campus café. Students can decorate their own bag and use it instead of those plastic bags.
Recycle – Not just aluminum, but “stuff”. Have an end of semester yard sale so residents can reduce trash and swap items. Shoes, clothes, that desk lamp…your trash may be someone’s recycled treasure. Donate what doesn’t get traded.
Submitted by Jenn Thorpe, Director of Residence Life, Chestnut Hill College