Within the framework of the sustainability strategy of Manchester Metropolitan University, a UNAI member institution in the United Kingdom, Rise Academy, as part of Rise, is an initiative aiming to provide answers to these questions: How do we engage students in sustainability? And how can online learning, creativity, innovation, and community building sit within this? Rise gives students a wide range of opportunities to explore various extra-curricular events, activities, projects, and internships.
These offer complimentary courses, university, broader community engagement, and new skills to encourage career readiness. A key focus within Rise is collaborating with external partners and staff across the university. In 2021, Rise wanted to share its provision with the university’s incoming students. After a year of home-based learning and with a pandemic-affected transition to tertiary education, high school graduates were given a unique chance to step up to university through the lens of sustainability.
The Rise Academy was launched as part of Rise. A pioneering combination of academics, peer mentors, sustainability ‘ambassadors,’ faculties, and services of the university, in addition to external partners. Over 80 participants from across the United Kingdom joined the program. The Rise Academy also partnered with Hubbub, a sustainability enterprise with a strong campaign hub in the city of Manchester. Hubbub set the challenges focusing on the Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs) around fashion, food, and nature.
No prior knowledge on sustainability was required for participants to engage – just an appetite for learning, being creative, and a commitment to nine weekly sessions. Online learning met mentoring and group work within the Rise Academy, creating a community of current and students-to-be with sustainability at its core. In addition, participants engaged with experts in the field to gain insight into actual sustainable practices. With a week-by-week exploration of each SDG focus area, sessions were dynamic and interactive.
Guest speakers from Hubbub, who provided a national and global picture, were joined by representatives from local, sustainable initiatives. Moreover, experts from Manchester Metropolitan University also joined each week to share the university’s sustainable examples - from opportunities for student engagement to more comprehensive strategic planning and development. All guests were open to questions and encouraged student inquiry and debate. Along with the participants, university students from various disciplines joined as mentors.
These mentors signed up with a passion for leading others and were given bespoke training for online facilitation. At the midpoint of the Academy, the focus changed to peer-to-peer learning as the sustainability challenges were presented to the participants. Both mentors and participants chose focus areas to respond to the challenges. This experience also led to further connections and the potential to see ideas through to full fruition with Rise. Overall, building a sense of community was crucial to the Rise Academy’s success.
With a sense of belonging came a greater understanding of responsibility, engagement, commitment, and excitement. This excellent microcosm displayed how inspiration, encouragement, and opportunity can lead to innovation and entrepreneurial thinking around engagement in sustainable practices. While ideas were being cultivated and developed, sustainability ‘ambassadors,’ alumni and current students, also shared their insight and guidance with the groups.
One of the critical phases was the Judge’s choice awards presentation. The results were outstanding and culminated in an awards evening where responses included individual special mentions to Instagram and TikTok magazines and tutorials, recycled artist-commissioned bins as part of a nature walk, bee boxes, and wonky veg boxes for schools, and an interactive flexitarian cookbook. “I am incredibly proud of the students who participated,” commented C-J Foster, Rise Academy Lead.
“Our participants left us full of ideas on how they could make both large and small changes,” she added. “Everyone grew through this experience and it was wonderful to create a community space, drawing on knowledge (…) this is a successful model of giving students across different fields of study a chance to work together, build community, learn and innovate around creative ways to address sustainability,” she underlined. “I am inspired by such motivated and passionate participants,” she concluded.
