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Warwick International Higher Education Academy

Warwick Sustainability Challenge (WSUsC): a Curriculum-Campus-Community approach to sustainable teaching & learning

The Winners

We are delighted to announce the results of the Challenge!

1st place - WMG

2nd place - Team 8

3rd place - Sociology

The judges also noted the following commendation awards:

WMG - Most detailed and well researched
Sociology - Most inclusive
Economics - Best use of insights and research
Team 1 - Most engaging presentation and video
Team 2 - Best problematisation
Team 4 - Most innovative and financially ambitious
Team 6 - Most campus focused
Team 8 - Most cost effective and interesting

Meet the judging panel and the winning teams

In the picture: Lory Barile, Bo Kelestyn, members of the judging panel and the winning teams.

Judging panel and challenge submissions:

The judging panel included: Bret Willers, Head of Climate Change and Sustainability, Coventry City Council; David Pipe, Senior Officer, Transport Strategy, Coventry City Council; Lee Griffin, Associate Professor, WMG, University of Warwick; and Lorenzo Lotti, Associate Professor, UCL Institute for Sustainable Resources.
The panel selected five teams (among those who submitted their outputs on 24 June) to attend the final showcase event on 8 July. You can read more about the event here.
 
All team submissions are available on the Challenge Submissions Page.

About the Warwick Sustainability Challenge

Brought to the Warwick Community by the WIHEA ESD learning circle, the Challenge saw staff and students co-creating ideas to tackle a real environmental challenge in Coventry, using a more holistic approach to sustainability in HE. The Challenge engaged around 70 participants who actively participated in two three-hour workshops, an optional drop-in session with experts in the area, and the competition initiative.

The workshops were designed to facilitate a collaborative approach to reframing a challenge, and coached participants to help explore it in an innovative way. After the workshops, the Challenge lasted for additional 10 days (two weeks in total). With the help of expert student and staff coaches, participants continued collaborating asynchronously and by the end of two weeks they submitted their ideas either in the form of an e-poster or a presentation, and a video.

What was in it for participants?

Learned about sustainability and developed green skills

Gained employability skills and valuable experience for their CV

Developed innovation skills and learned about a leading innovation methodology: design thinking

Collaborated with and presented their ideas to the Coventry City Council

Received a certificate of completion and were in a chance to win a cash prize*

Met new people from across the University

Made a tangible contribution to the University and Coventry

*Please note that the prize winnings were only awarded to the student participants.

Project Aims

  • The objective of this project was to provide a whole-higher education approach to sustainability, linking the teaching and learning provision (Curriculum), to values and ways of working and studying on Campus, and the local Community by engaging with local people and partners.
  • This project aimed to raise the profile of the importance of education for sustainable development, using an interdisciplinary approach and co-creation as important areas of student focus and engagement.

What You Need to Know

Project Background

Please visit this Project Background pageLink opens in a new window Link opens in a new window to find out more about the project and what the key dates were.

Judging Criteria

Desirable, Feasible, Innovative, Ethical, Holistic. Find out more hereLink opens in a new windowLink opens in a new window

More information

Please visit this page for FAQsLink opens in a new window or get in touch with the Project Leads, or visit this Project Background pageLink opens in a new windowLink opens in a new window to find out more

"An exciting pedagogical approach to develop sustainability competences, linking our teaching and learning provision, to values and ways of working and studying on campus, and the local community."

- Chris Ennew

"This is a great opportunity for our students to develop competences that can hardly be taught, finding solutions to a real-life challenge, and applying their knowledge and skills in the working and studying environment."

- Chris Hughes

Project Impact

  • The main outputs form this project were:
    • The learning from workshops and critical engagement with this area, with deep collaboration between staff and students
    • The impact of the work undertaken by the project teams and their subsequent engagement within their departments
    • The shared learning from the dissemination event which we will be able to make widely available
  • Through engagement in these workshops, the project raised the profile of the importance of sustainability issues and co-creation of solutions as important areas of student focus and engagement.
  • A further WIHEA-funded project, which aims to build on the successes of this project and keep sustainability at the forefront of Warwick's decision-making and practice.

Project Team

Dr Lory Barile (Economics)

Project Lead

Nancy Olson (WMG)

WMG Project Partner

Dr Bo Kelestyn (WBS)

Project Co-Lead & Design Thinking Consultant

Project Team:

David Chapman (Estates), Groves Richard (Warwick Enterprise), Deborah Smith (Warwick Enterprise), Todd Olive (GSD student), Nikita Asnani (IATL student), Emily Roisin Reid (WMS), Luke Netherclift (GSD Alumni), Maddie Booth (GSD Alumnae), Bret Willers (Head of Climate Change and Sustainability, Coventry City Council).


If you would like more information on this project, please contact the project lead: Dr Lory Barile (lory.barile@warwick.ac.uk)

If you want to learn more about a forerunner project, the Warwick Employability Challenge, please click hereLink opens in a new window.