Goal 17 - Institutional Stewardship Initiatives

SDG17

The University of Alberta collaborates with Non-governmental Organizations (NGOs) and other units to tackle the Sustainable Development Goals through student volunteering programs; research programs; the development of educational resources; and the delivery of education, engagement and capacity building events.

Capacity Building Programs

Together Alberta

The Alberta Council for Global Cooperation (ACGC) champions the Sustainable Development Goals in Alberta. In 2019, to understand the ecosystem of organizations and individuals advancing the goals, they launched the project Together Alberta: Mapping Alberta’s Contributions to the Sustainable Development Goals. The University of Alberta supported this project and continues to participate in ACGC’s efforts to raise the goals’ profile in Alberta.

Educational Activities for Alumni, Students, and the Local Community

SDG Student Alliance

The University of Alberta’s Sustainable Development Goals Student Alliance (SDGSA) is a student group dedicated to education and advocacy for the SDGs. They host events throughout the year including tabling sessions, workshops, climate cafés and more! In addition to their work on campus, they have led multiple community workshops with school-aged children, hoping to teach kids about sustainability and the world around them.

Foundations Summit for Sustainability and Leadership (FSSL)

The Sustainability Council and Sustain SU’s Foundations Summit for Sustainability and Leadership (FSSL) was a five day, nation-wide leadership conference open to both high school and post-secondary students. All sessions were free and accessible online and provided daily, sustainability-focused, streamed sessions covering topics such as fair trade, climate refugees, energy and e-waste.

International Week

Started in 1986, International Week is the largest annual extracurricular educational event at the University of Alberta. Workshops, film screenings, speakers and interactive activities foster global citizenship through engagement with some of today's most pressing issues including sustainability, poverty and the precarious status of refugees and displaced people. I-Week invites students, staff and the general public to hear from speakers, experts and NGOs to learn about international and local perspectives on global issues. Since 2015, the programming has raised awareness of the Sustainable Development Goals and showcased local experts and activists making progress on the goals. I-Week is an incubator of ideas and a source of inspiration for everyone to work together for a better world.

Sustainable Development Goal's (SDG) Month

The University of Alberta Sustainability Council’s annual Sustainable Development Goal's (SDG) Month highlights campus sustainability initiatives and social and environmental issues, and it offers opportunities to build connections beyond campus. Events include popular walking tours, hands-on workshops, speaker panels, film screenings and explorations of local food.

Future Energy Systems - Outreach

Future Energy Systems organizes visits to classrooms in the Edmonton area. Depending on the age of the participants and the request, classroom or organization visits may incorporate hands-on activities or talks.

Sustainability Lecture Series

The Sustainability Council Lecture Series brings together local expertise and global innovation across all fields of sustainability. Meet scholars from the University of Alberta and beyond in fields ranging from engineering to ecology, public health to poetry, native studies to nanotechnology and more.

Relationships, Cross-sectoral Dialogue and Collaboration with Non-governmental Organizations

Academics Without Borders

Academics Without Borders, an NGO, supports capacity development in tertiary education in developing countries so that these countries can educate their own experts and professionals. The University of Alberta is an active member of Academics Without Borders.

Examples of collaborations supported by the University of Alberta include Global Health in Ghana and a project focused on Creating a Computational-Physics Platform in Eswatini.

Engineers Without Borders: Junior Fellowship Program in International Development Student Volunteer Program - Internship

The Engineers Without Borders (EWB) University of Alberta Chapter strives to create a multi-disciplinary community of systems change leaders who courageously commit to transforming systems that allow inequality to persist. Through asking tough questions and investing in people and ideas, the chapter works to see change in the University of Alberta community and beyond. Through their network of Canadian University Chapters and ventures in Sub-Saharan Africa, they hope to create and connect young leaders around the world through policy and advocacy work, impact investing, dreaming big and working hard. The Junior Fellowship Program is a four month, overseas placement working in one of EWB’s many ventures.

Certificate in Community Engagement and Service-Learning

Offered by the Community Service-Learning (CSL) program in the Faculty of Arts, the Certificate in Community Engagement and Service-Learning enables University of Alberta undergraduate students to integrate hands-on community service with academic learning. Students complete CSL-designated courses and experiential opportunities, partnering with local non-governmental organizations (NGOs) and community groups to address social and environmental challenges related to the SDGs while developing career-relevant skills.

ALES Mini-Internship Program

Hosted by the Faculty of Agricultural, Life & Environmental Sciences (ALES), the ALES Mini-Internship Program (AMIP) offers undergraduate students place-based experiential learning by connecting them with industry partners, non-profits, and NGOs. Cohorts of students participate in intensive three-day volunteer placements with non-profit organizations, applying their academic knowledge to support critical community projects and advance the SDGs.

Campus Food Bank Volunteers

Operating as an independent registered charity located on campus, the Campus Food Bank directly addresses SDG 2 (Zero Hunger) by supporting University of Alberta students, staff, and recent graduates facing food insecurity. Powered by student volunteers and community partnerships, the organization delivers food access initiatives, educational outreach, and food drives while collaborating with local non-profits and national networks to advance campus food accessibility and tackle systemic hunger.

Adaptation Resilience Training (ART)

With the Adaptation Resilience Training (ART) program, students gain experience applying the skills they have gained throughout their post-secondary education, while also contributing to Alberta’s resilience to the impacts of climate change. Students work on research projects with host organizations including non-profit organizations, industry partners, municipalities and NGO's. Through the ART program, students develop publicly available final reports which can include educational resources for the organization's use or the greater community to address areas of concern.