Knowledge Bank

The Ohio State University Office of Student Life and Columbus Division of Fire have partnered for the last five years to provide comprehensive safety and sustainability education to thousands of Ohio State students. Our pilot initiative was home walk-throughs, in which a member of Student Life and Columbus Division of Fire provided both Ohio State students and area property owners with personalized safety, security, and sustainability recommendations to improve the quality of life in their homes, which ultimately impacts the well-being of the University District. In the five years since the program's inception, we have been invited into 3,400 homes and counting, provided personalized recommendations to each one. By working with University District property owners, the team is able to be a catalyst for large scale change in sustainable practices such as recycling, composting, and home energy conversation. This presentation focuses on the lessons learned after the first five years of this innovative program and strategies the team used to create a more sustainable program that will ultimately benefit the well-being of the community. The future of the program looks bright – we aim to not only expand our home walk-through initiative, but also to make the program more comprehensive by utilizing technology in an innovative way, developing an intern program with partners city- and university-wide, and further leveraging our strong relationships with property owners. Attendees will be able to strategize for implementation and improvement of their community-focused programs.

AUTHOR AFFILIATION: Marisa Lally, program manager, Ohio State Off-Campus and Commuter Student Services, lally.20@osu.edu (Corresponding Author)