Going Green with our Students

MyLearn Paperless Enrollment Process and Resources

The GlobaLinks Learning Abroad's website features the option to create a MyLearn account which allows students to manage every step of the study abroad processes online, without compromising our renowned student services. We encourage you to set up a MyLearn account on our website to access information, instead of requesting printed materials through the mail. By doing so, you can save items to the filing cabinet in your account and sign up for our monthly newsletters, which conserves a large amount of paper and reduces the amount of fuel utilized in the transport of mail.

For our participants, our new online enrollment system includes a paperless, online application and enrollment process, electronic participant guide and resources, and online statements and bill pay.

Green Passport – www.abroadview.org 

As a part of our pre-departure process, we encourage students to sign up for the “Green Passport” program on Abroad View’s website. Here, students who are committed to sustainable study abroad can sign up for the program and are then asked to follow suggested guidelines in which they “respect the interconnectedness of the world’s people and environment and take actions to reduce their ecological and socio-cultural footprint when they study and travel abroad.”

“Travel Light” Departure Package

Prior to departure, students are provided with a departure package as well as an online departure webinar. We want our students to be prepared for cultural differences and to be environmentally conscious at the same time.  

Encourage Off-Setting Airline Travel Through the "Study Abroad Carbon Offset Package"

Students are encouraged to offset the airline miles for their study abroad program and support renewable energy projects in Colorado.

In partnership with GlobaLinks Learning Abroad, the Colorado Carbon Fund has established a carbon offset package specifically designed for study abroad students. International air travel by study abroad students has a huge impact on the environment. One ton of carbon dioxide is released when you travel 5000 miles in an airplane - that's 5% of the average American's impact for the entire year in just one round trip flight from NYC to LA. By purchasing carbon offsets, students help to fund a project that reduces the amount of carbon dioxide in the atmosphere.

The Colorado Carbon Fund provides high quality carbon offsets to consumers as a way to support new energy efficiency and renewable energy projects to reduce greenhouse gas emissions in our state. The Colorado Carbon Fund partners with local governments, community groups, and businesses across the state on our Project C outreach and education campaign, and a portion of all funds raised stay in the local community.

Students are encouraged to take a step towards responsible travel and make a postitive impact as they experience the world! Purchase of the $40 Study Abroad Carbon Offset Package can be made through the Colorado Carbon Fund, and 100% of your money is used to build the fund in order to support renewable energy projects. For more information about carbon credits to offset airline travel, go to

www.coloradocarbonfund.org 

Going Green within our Organization

Reduce – Reuse – Recycle in all offices

Our Colorado office, as well as our overseas and regionally based staff, are taking steps to create as little waste as possible in our daily tasks. We have already established practices to:

• Eliminate paper “Participant Guides” for all programs
• Encourage employees to not print at all or to print double-sided
• Designate one printer tray to be 100% reused paper
• Designate recycling bins throughout our office for paper, glass, and plastics
• Recycle and refill ink and toner cartridges

We Support the Colorado Carbon Fund

For every student evalutation form we receive, we donate $1 to the Colorado Carbon Fund in efforts to offset our environmental impact while also encouraging students to provide feedback on our programs. In January 2009, we donated $250 reflecting the evaluation forms we received from our January/February 2008 participants.

The Colorado Carbon Fund provides high quality carbon offsets to consumers as a way to support new energy efficiency and renewable energy projects to reduce greenhouse gas emissions in our state. The Colorado Carbon Fund partners with local governments, community groups, and businesses across the state on our Project C outreach and education campaign, and a portion of all funds raised stay in the local community. Visit www.ColoradoCarbonFund.org to measure your carbon footprint, get tips on how to save energy and reduce emissions, and make a tax deductible donation to offset your emissions and support new clean energy projects in Colorado.

Monthly Green Challenge

Each month, we focus on one theme to provide employees with advice, resources, and even “challenges” to make going green easy. Month-long activities such as the “Stair Challenge” remind staff members that small steps in the right direction (like avoiding the elevator) can save energy, reduce carbon emissions, and ultimately reduce the impact we have on the earth. Challenges we have already undertaken and those scheduled for the next few months include:

• Stair Challenge – climb instead of ride the elevator – 20 people participated and 1,720 stairs were climbed – making us all healthier and reduced emissions from the elevator transport
• BYOC – Bring Your Own Container – with special focus on reducing use of plastic water bottles, disposable coffee cups, plastic grocery bags, and take out containers
• Reduce – Reuse – Recycle – we already do so much of this, we took it to the next step by encouraging staff to recycle odd things such as tennis shoes, batteries, and old cell phones
• Save Energy – with special tips on how to change computer settings to reduce electrical waste
• Alternative forms of transportation – with a specific goal of cutting our greenhouse emissions related to our combined daily commutes in half for one month
• Buying Local – including information on how much impact the transport of food has on our environment
• Conserve Water – a special “shave 2 minutes off your shower” challenge

Contribute to the Local Environment

The GlobaLinks Learning Abroad staff adopted a track of open space near the office beginning in January 2009. Quarterly, staff members donate their lunch hour to picking up trash and keeping the area clean.

A few words from open space manager, Nathan Kelbe about our volunteer efforts: 
 

Attendance at Local “Green” Events

In order to continue to learn and expand our ideas of how to improve our sustainable business practices, we attend local events such as the Northern Colorado Green Summit.

Our Staff’s Travels

As a team, we have committed to hold more “virtual” meetings via teleconferences and webinars with advisors at campuses throughout the U.S. and Canada instead of traveling to visit them at their location. Not only will this reduce the amount of CO2 released into the air through airline and car travel, it will allow us to “visit” more individuals more regularly.