Green Gown Awards 2017 - Queen’s University Belfast - Finalist

Queen’s University Belfast’s ‘Environmental Leadership Programme’

Students have a key role to play in helping reduce the University’s environmental impact. By joining the Environmental Leadership Programme, Queen’s students can gain practical experience in environmental management and improve their employability prospects, all whilst playing a key role in helping the University achieve its low carbon vision. Students also have the opportunity to develop their skills in project management, teamwork and communication and will be well placed to become a future environmental champion in their chosen field.

The 60-hour Programme, which runs across the academic year provides, a pathway for students with an interest in Sustainable Development, Climate Change or Environmental Management to develop new skills, gain valuable experience and enhance their employability; through a series of training sessions, volunteering activities, seminars and the organisation of environmental awareness events. The final stage of the Programme challenges students to complete an ‘Environmental Leadership’ application form and attend an interview to reflect upon their experiences during the programme.

Top 3 learnings:

1 Supporting students to run their own events is a great mechanism for encouraging participation.

2 Having a diverse range of events throughout the programme helped to keep our students engaged and enthusiastic.

3 Challenging students to attend interviews was a great way to further develop key employability skills.