College Students Build Lasting Sustainability Habits Through For the Greener Good Program
ACC team makes clever use of social media to empower environmentalism
According to our 2022 American Campus Communities Resident Pulse Survey, 71% of the students living in ACC communities said it was “very important” or “important” for their student housing community to have environmentally sustainable features.
We’ve worked hard to build sustainable features into our communities, such as on-site solar energy, energy-efficient appliances, smart thermostats, recycling and low-flow plumbing fixtures. But providing these features is just the first step in reducing our collective environmental impact. Conserving natural resources at our communities also requires action from our residents.
That’s where our For the Greener Good peer-to-peer education campaign comes in. At each ACC community, our community assistants and resident assistants (student staff) act as For the Greener Good ambassadors, creating initiatives to help residents develop a conservation mindset and form daily habits that will reduce their environmental impact. We launched For the Greener Good in 2022 with on-site events and creative social media educational content.
Videos Drive Concrete Action on Climate Change
Over the last year, our teams have dramatically increased the program’s reach and effectiveness by using Gen Z’s favorite medium: video. With support from ACC’s content marketing team, the RAs post TikTok videos and Instagram reels on their properties’ channels that share tips for living sustainably. In 2023, they published more than 1,200 posts that reached over 370,000 people.
Although 60% of Gen Zs have felt worried or anxious about climate change in the last month, it can be daunting to know how to make a difference as an individual. By listening to and learning from residents, we’ve found three keys to empowering them to take action:
- Make it focused.
- Make it memorable.
- Make it authentic.
Make it Focused: Create One Habit at a Time
Almost everything people do has an impact on the environment, so it can be hard to know where to start with sustainable living. Our team has found that long, detailed lists can be overwhelming. So they’ve kept their communications focused on small, focused actions residents can take, such as taking shorter showers, thrifting clothes and unplugging appliances when not in use.
“We’ve found that making sustainable actions digestible and as simple as possible works best, as it’s easier to build one habit at a time,” said Marco Fiumara, ACC’s content marketing strategist who collaborates on the development of For the Greener Good content.
Make it Memorable: Choose a Theme
To get entire communities talking and challenging each other to conserve resources, our teams also develop themed campaigns amid a comprehensive content calendar. For World Water Day on March 22, properties focused on water conservation tips. To capitalize on the popularity of Taylor Swift’s Eras Tour, they developed a content series asking residents, “What does it mean to be in your sustainable era?” And curbing single-use plastic consumption is an ongoing focus area for 2024.
The team has a lot of fun using their creativity to connect residents around sustainability. With a background in theater, Marco is ideally suited to create content for these efforts. He started his ACC career at Flamingo Crossings at Walt Disney World with the goal of being a Disney performer, but during the pandemic he focused on his leasing manager position before eventually being tapped for his current content role.
“I love the fast-paced environment of coming up with strategy, filming and producing videos,” said Marco. “It’s similar to theater and so great to use my experience to make a difference.”
Make it Authentic: Be Straightforward
Although we use playful themes, protecting the planet is a serious endeavor. So, we’ve also found it’s important to get straight to the point in sharing important information.
“When it comes to big topics like climate change, we’ve found that students prefer a just-the-facts approach delivered in an authentic way,” said Marco. “This isn’t marketing; we’re talking to each other straight about what matters most.”
With the start of the school year around the corner, our For the Greener Good focus is helping residents make sustainable choices as they move into their new communities and build green living habits. We’ll make sure they know how and where to recycle their boxes and educate them about their community’s sustainable features.
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