Universities exist in and for their places. For Edge Hill University, that means being public-centred, local orientated and strategically focused in how we work with the people and organisations around us. As such, we are not simply present in Lancashire, but shaped by it, and shaping it in return. SustainNET puts civic engagement at the heart of sustainable development, bringing staff, students and communities together to act on the environmental, economic and social challenges that matter most, right here
Our approach
- Public centred: Local people and partners help set our priorities and shape our decisions, not just receive the outcomes.
- Locally orientated – We mobilise our research, teaching, student energy around needs identified with, not for, Lancashire communities.
- Strategically focused: We deliver civic activity that is joined up across the university, supporting students, staff and partners to benefit, through both in-curricular and extracurricular experiences
For community groups or SustainNET partners seeking support to tackle a social, economic or environmentally sustainable challenge, SustaiNET offers an opportunity to connect with staff and students in the following ways:
Research: connect with academic and student researchers to:
- Generating knowledge – find the answer to questions that are important to you.
- This can include reviewing existing evidence to provide an analysis of what is already known about a topic e.g. what are the most effective behaviour change strategies for engaging communities in climate action.
- It can also include collecting new information from the local community through surveys, interviews or other creative methods e.g. walking interviews to identify barriers to accessing green spaces.
- Evaluate your service – measure how well your activities, programmes or initiatives work for local people
Volunteer or placement opportunities: find a student with the skills and attributes to support your activities, programmes or initiatives and support students to develop leadership skills and other key graduate attributes. Promote a vacancy for students through the Employment Engagement Team
Successful student engagement in civic activities within the community requires clarity and consideration of the demands of modern student life. As a widening participation university, this means low-barrier entry points, recognition of the skills students build (teamwork, confidence, employability), and a deliberate effort to reach first-generation students, commuter students and those balancing work and study. As such, civic engagement is a route into opportunity, not another obstacle. When proposing a civic activity to students:
- Frame the opportunity around the real difference it makes locally, so students see the change they’re part of.
- Give clear, accessible information up front about what’s involved, the time commitment, and what students will gain. This allows students to make an informed choice to take part.
- Offer genuine leadership roles, so that student enhance their employability. This can include co-designing projects, training peers, leading teams and building partnerships with local organisations, not just attending or delivering a project.
- Provide the right support for each person, including an induction, training and regular check-ins, recognising that students thrive at different levels of responsibility.
News and events: keep informed about civic engagement news and events. These may include knowledge exchange and research events or networking opportunities
For Students passionate about sustainability and looking for ways to build leadership skills and gain experience, SustainNET shares opportunities to make the most of time at university as follows:
- Apply for funding: The student sustainability initiative fund, worth £100, supports students to organise sustainability events and campaigns on and off campus. Find out how to apply here
- Shaping curriculum development: Students can take advantage of opportunities to shape how sustainability features in the curriculum in two core ways. Firstly, identifying opportunities to embed sustainability into course modules through a curriculum audit. This includes mapping module content and assessments against United Nations Sustainable Development Goals or Planetary Health Report Card metrics. Secondly, connecting with community groups and SustainNET partners to identify dissertation research questions or projects.
- Research: beyond the curriculum, students can engage in staff led projects through research internships
- Volunteering and placements: Students can apply to volunteer or complete a sustainability placement at Edge Hill University. As an example, student volunteers have hosted awareness activities at the Sustainability Fair held annually, in November. For more information about volunteer and placement opportunities at EHU contact Keziah by emailing [email protected] Look out for volunteer and placement opportunities with community groups or SustainNET partners on the Careers Portal
- Sustainability award: gain recognition for driving the sustainability agenda on and off campus during your time at Edge Hill University via the…. Award
Attendees at the first Climate Action Forum
Students working on civic engagement project