Deborah Long, director of the Elon Academy and professor of education, and Elaine Durr, director of the Office of Sustainability, were invited to present on a webinar for best practices in the STARS Innovation category. The Sustainability Tracking, Assessment & Rating System is a program of the Association for the Advancement of Sustainability in Higher Education (AASHE) that measures and encourages sustainability in all aspects of higher education. The program includes all three components of sustainability – environment, economy and society.
The Elon Academy was submitted as one of Elon’s STARS Innovation credits. Innovation credits are reserved for new, extraordinary, unique, ground-breaking or uncommon outcomes, policies and practices that greatly exceed the highest criterion of an existing STARS credit or are not covered by an existing STARS credit. Elon’s submission of the Elon Academy was recognized by STARS staff as a best practice and was also featured in the Summer 2012 STARS Quarterly Review: Innovations in Campus Sustainability. This document explores the connections between education, innovation and sustainability. It highlights the STARS Innovation category and the unique solutions within higher education that positively impact current and future generations.
The Elon Academy is a unique college access and success program that significantly and positively impacts participants and those involved with the program in a number of other capacities, including Elon University students, faculty and staff. The Elon Academy is a comprehensive program based on a youth development model that provides scholars and families with academic, financial, social, and emotional support to and through college. The program includes a significant component of leadership development, community service, family involvement, paid internship opportunities, and one-on-one mentoring, academic coaching and counseling. The program currently serves 72 high school scholars and 63 college scholars and more than 300 family members.