Course Responsibles/Tutors: Marjo Hietapuro, Anne Badan
“How to Change the World 2: Sustainability Projects” course provides an opportunity for students to get hands-on experience in changing the world. During the course, students will work in teams toward finding creative and sustainable solutions to social and environmental challenges brought by partner organizations.
The Project work course is a continuation to the “How to change the world: Innovation toward sustainability” lecture course (https://cie.hkkk.fi/21E10000) organized in the first period of the spring semester. However, this course is open to all students (attending only one of the courses is possible).
The objective of the course is to offer the opportunity to students -who wish to apply concrete skills to real social and environmental challenges- to try out their ideas in a creative and collaborative manner. In addition, should their solutions be applicable, sustainable and impactful, the partner organisations might decide to offer one or two student(s) per group the opportunity to be part of the implementation team.
Course website: https://cie.hkkk.fi/21E12002
Time:
14 March 2011 – 9/16 May 2011.
On Mondays at 14.00-16.00 unless otherwise notified
Place:
Chydenia H-126 (Aalto University Töölö campus)
Programme:
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Content:
During the course, students will work in teams towards finding creative solutions to social and environmental challenges brought by partner organisations (see list below). The challenges will be presented on the first lecture, after which students are allocated to groups based on their preferences regarding the projects. The team members are expected to work intensively together during the course and they will be meeting the organisations approximately once a week. There will also be two tutorial sessions to guide the groups during the projects. The class will come together for presenting the project plans and project outcomes. Other than this, there will be no common lectures or meetings during the course.
Learning outcomes:
Students gain practical experience in problem modelling, knowledge building, solution finding, and taking initiative. Further, the project work gives hands-on practice of cross-disciplinary approach to finding solutions to the most pressing social and environmental challenges.
The course aims at developing the following meta-level skills:
- Encountering wicked problems – getting encouraged to face complex and unclear problems
- Sharing knowledge – widening personal knowledge and expertise
- Respecting others – appreciating different domains and points of view
- Surpassing oneself – expanding personal capacities
- Increasing personal activity – learning to take initiative
- Understanding the power of creativity – designing the future
Grading:
- Creativity
- Applicability
- Sustainability
- Impact
- Learning process (What did you learn? How can you reflect on the project
outcome?
- Peer-assessment
- Partner organisations’ feedback
- Tutors’ assessment
Additional Information: Applicability – follow-up on implementation of solutions
Should the Partner Orgnanisations and/or individuals -who proposed a social or environmental challenge- decide to go on with the solutions proposed by the students’ groups, 1 or 2 students per group could be chosen to participate in the implementation phase (through the form of an internship or volunteering work during the summer period).
The Partner Organisations’ projects:
1. Finn Church Aid – Innovative ICT Solutions for Developing Countries
Finn Church Aid (FCA) is Finland’s largest development co-operation organization and second largest disaster relief provider. The devastating earth quake in Haiti in January 2010 has been a true challenge to all international organizations. However, FCA has managed to target assistance to the most damaged areas.
Together with our local partners we have provided temporary school buildings for children and psychosocial support to teachers. We are reconstructing classrooms to provide more permanent education facilities and to serve as shelters to protect children and families during the hurricane season. With the help of FCA more than 15 000 children have been able to return to school. In 2011 we aim to build ten permanent schools.
FCA is extremely interested in learning how ICT (especially mobile technology) has been utilized in development co-operation projects all around the world and how it could be applied into FCA’s various reconstruction, education, food security and emergency relief operations in Haiti. In addition to challenges concerning electricity, also cultural concerns and different target groups should be taken into account.
Creating innovative and applicable ICT solutions for Haiti will enable the students to make a huge impact on international organizations’ future work in all developing countries.
See more:
www.kirkonulkomaanapu.fi
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2. Aalto University Sustainable campus assignment – Recycling case
According to our values and strategy, Aalto University is in the process of defining sustainability in its functions. Both academic affairs and infrastructure will be covered; active communications play an essential part. The goal of Aalto sustainable campus is to provide ways to make ecological choices easy and evident, even unaware.
The main objective in the assignment is to improve recycling at Aalto University Töölö campus. Main emphasis is on public spaces of Aalto but also suggestions for the basic work stations of Aalto employees/students are welcome. The task is to create a balanced recycling system which makes recycling easy and fun and gives a message about our values; everybody can contribute to sustainability. The solutions need to be functional, aesthetic and sustainable. Supportive activities could include, for example, evaluation of the plans and actions of Aalto Tilapalvelut, creation of info material or organizing an awareness raising campaign in the campus. An additional question to consider in the case is how the amount of waste could be reduced. How could functions or services in our community be immaterialized?
See more:
https://inside.aalto.fi/display/AboutAalto/Sustainability+plan+for+Aalto
www.aalto.fi/en/about/sustainability
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3. Demos Helsinki – Solutions for Sustainable Living
The Foundation for Student Housing in the Helsinki Region HOAS provides homes for 16,000 students in the capital area. Student housing plays a significant role in equipping people with living skills for the rest of their lives. With approximately 20 % of foreign tenants and a range of skills and needs, student housing can be seen as a miniature version of tomorrow´s Finland.
HOAS is a non-profit housing corporation founded and mostly governed by student unions.
Finland´s only independent think tank Demos Helsinki and HOAS run currently a 1.5-year design project searching for and developing solutions for sustainable living and stronger communities.
Sustainable living is crucial for tackling climate change as buildings and construction are responsible for 40% of all energy usage and emissions. The housing foundation´s buildings range in age, housing arrangements and location. As students move frequently, standard community-building techniques have proven to be inadequate.
Demos Helsinki and HOAS are especially interested in user-led and peer-based solutions, which change behaviour towards sustainability. Next to housing arrangements and better communication, building and renovation innovations are crucial in cutting emissions and energy usage. With the support of Tekes – the Finnish Funding Agency for Technology and Innovation, students will have a real chance of also testing out their ideas and concepts.
See more:
http://www.hoas.fi
http://demos.fi/english
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4. Plan International – Youth Economic Empowerment
There has never been a better time – or a more urgent need – to invest in young people in developing countries. Over the next decade, more than one billion children will make the transition through adolescence into adulthood. Plan’s hope is that these young people will become economically active adults; but unless we act now, the reverse cycle of poverty will continue and a lack of opportunity could pose a threat to the security of nations.
Plan has committed itself to work with a range of partners around the world to increase opportunities and investments for youth employment. Through cooperating with governments and private industry Plan will develop technical and vocational education and training that matches the skills of young people with job opportunities. The aim is also to encourage private enterprise to support business development services and the creation of value chains for youth microenterprises.
There is also a will to connect the programs in developing countries with stakeholders in developed countries. The aim of this project is to find innovative ways to connect Finnish companies, youth and other stakeholders through Youth Economic Empowerment.
Today’s youth can be tomorrow’s workers, entrepreneurs, active citizens and leaders; agents of needed change, bringing fresh vision and critical problem-solving creativity to some of the world’s most intractable problems. Help us change the world through Youth Economic Empowerment.
See more:
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5. Aalto Eco Soap Project – Environmentally Friendly Soap
Aalto Eco Soap is a creative sustainable project that produces environmentally friendly cleaning products from waste cooking oil. The impact of cleaning chemicals to human health and the environment is a serious concern. This project not only aims to raise public environmental awareness, but it also puts recycling and re-use into concrete practice.
Used cooking oil will be collected from the residential community and restaurants on TKK campus. The recycled oil will be incorporated into new cleaning products with Cold Process method to make eco-friendly cleaning soap and liquid soap. These products do not contain any hazardous chemicals and they are 100% biodegradable when rinsed into waterways.
In autumn 2010, in the Sustainable Product Design Case course, Ruby Lin started to construct and conduct the eco-soap making idea in Finland. She gathered used cooking oil from TKK X-burger, and now the Aalto eco soap and liquid soap have been experimented and prototyped, and they are ready for use.
Now, the question is how to involve the Aalto students and other stakeholders to make the project really take off. Students will be encouraged to develop and implement creative ideas, for example, for distribution, promotion, and increasing awareness, e.g. by organizing events. Students also have the opportunity to learn to make the eco-soap themselves.
Tutor: Ruby Lin, MA Student, Aalto School of Arts & Design, Creative Sustainability Programme
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6. Nordic Offset – Voluntary emission reductions in the consumer market
Nordic Offset is a social enterprise that offers environmental management consulting and commercial emission reductions from voluntary emissions trading markets. Our range of Neutral services and calculation tools enables businesses and individuals to recognize their impact on the climate, calculate and reduce their carbon footprint and voluntarily offset carbon emissions.
Offsetting happens by purchasing emission reductions, in relation to one’s own consumption, from carbon emission reducing sustainable energy projects. The projects are implemented in developing countries, which typically have no regulated emission reduction targets.
For companies voluntary carbon offsetting is not just a way to take responsibility over their emissions, but also an act they can turn into competitive advantage. We help them communicate accurately about it. For individuals, we offer tools for compensating their flights and car driving. However, it is not as clear for us what is the reason for individuals to compensate their emissions.
The project is about proposing Nordic Offset a strategy for the consumer side based on assessing the market from the point of view of potential individual consumers. Possible questions could include: What do the consumers already know about voluntary carbon offsets and what are their reactions towards it? What are the trends in the market? Do individuals see voluntary offsetting rather as a philanthropic action or as a way to affect their own carbon footprints? What should we communicate, e.g. the big proportional size of projects that are enabled by a much smaller cost? Is this something that they would want to get status value of? Or perhaps better conscience? And would they only use the method to compensate, or also reduce their consumption?
See more:
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