CSB/SJU students awarded StAG Champion Award while studying abroad

Each semester during the London study abroad program, College of Saint Benedict/Saint John's University students channel their energy to save energy.

This spring, a group of CSB/SJU students were rewarded for their efforts by receiving the first-ever StAG Champion Institution Award from the Foundation for International Education (FIE) during the 10-week Student Switch Off Campaign.  

It marked the first time in FIE history that an entire institution was awarded the StAG Champion Award. CSB/SJU was recognized for their sustained commitment to the Student Switch Off Campaign during the fall and spring semesters.

Student ambassadors Nick Hedman '17, Emily Thornton '17, Laura Rhude '17, Marina Campbell-Vargas '17 and Jessica Trossen '17 were all recognized for their efforts. The student ambassadors led Manson Place residence hall to victory at the mid-point stage by encouraging other students to complete the climate challenge quiz and engage in energy saving habits in residence halls during the spring semester.

In addition, two CSB/SJU students were presented with individual StAG Champion Awards in fall 2015. Erin Stout '17 and Jordan Baker '17 were recognized for their commitment to Student Switch Off. Inspired by their experience of living in eco-houses on CSB/SJU campuses, Stout and Baker led their fellow 123 Queen's Gate residents to victory at both the mid-point and end-point stages of the competition.

"I was thrilled to see CSB/SJU students take the lead on sustainability efforts while living in London," said Janna LaFountaine, director of the London study abroad program for spring 2016. "The whole group worked together for a great cause and recognized that our responsibility to the environment does not stop at our borders."

CSB/SJU partner with the Foundation for International Education (FIE) to provide students with the opportunity to take classes along with other CSB/SJU students taught by a CSB/SJU professor and faculty from London universities and colleges. The program focuses on a structured curriculum within classes but also leaves room for daily explorations both within London and outside of the city.

Because the FIE's articulated values include a commitment to sustainability for the environment, the student experience is embedded in a program that encourages active engagement for sustainability via the Student Switch Off Campaign and Competition.

Student Switch Off is a 10-week, inter-residence energy saving competition run by the United Kingdom National Union of Students in the fall and spring semesters. Student ambassadors lead university students by promoting various competitions and overall energy saving practices.

The StAG Champion Awards were developed in spring 2014 to recognize FIE students, faculty, staff or institutions that made exceptional contributions to the FIE's sustainable development in a given semester.