Organise the Sustainability Day @ZHAW 2025
October 2024 – May 2025
Apply for a project management role to shape the sustainability event of ZHAW dedicated to social responsibility and sustainable development. Are you a ZHAW student passionate about sustainability and eager to develop your project management skills? We are looking for interns and volunteers to organise the student-led Sustainability Day @ZHAW 2025!
Internship
Volunteering
Timeline
Past events
Who we are
Now in its sixth year, Sustainability Day @ZHAW (formerly @SML) is a student-led initiative designed to spark meaningful conversations and raise awareness on key sustainability issues at the ZHAW. It is aimed at students and employees of all ZHAW departments, as well as the general public.
Whether you’re coordinating a zero-waste smoothie workshop, hosting panel discussions on diversity and inclusion, or planning a vegan Apéro, your creativity and ideas are at the forefront!
Why get involved?
- Learn more about sustainability, the Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs), and the Inner Development Goals (IDGs) in a hands-on way.
- Sharpen your project management, organisational, and teamwork skills
- Freedom to develop and implement your own ideas
- Coaching and support from proven internal experts
- Gain practical experience and receive a certificate of participation from ZHAW Deans.
Wanted: 2 interns
The internship position is about getting a leading role in the organisation of the programme, you will coordinate a small project team of fellow students and take on the main task of ensuring the successful implementation of the Sustainable Day. The position is paid according to the ZHAW rates and amounts to about a 10% workload across 8 months. At the end you will receive a certificate of participation that you can include in your CV. Apply by 3 October 2024.
What work will you do?
- Lead the coordination of the student team (team meetings, onsite workshops, role distribution, timeline management)
- Take charge of the administrative organisation and project management of the Sustainability Day (i.e. programme development, budget, workshops, speakers, sponsors)
- Ensure the successful implementation and follow-up of the Sustainability Day (marketing and communication, programme implementation, follow-up)
- Develop and realise the project report (10-20 pages)
- Raising awareness among your peers and the university staff for topics related to sustainable development
- Bring innovative and creative ideas!
Your profile?
- A BSc or MSc student at the ZHAW
- General understanding and interest in sustainability, the SDGs and IDGs
- Basic organisational and leadership skills
- Good understanding of German and English
- Creativity and ideas
- Time (max 150 hours between October 2024 and May 2025)
- Eagerness to learn
Wanted: 3 - 5 volunteers
As a volunteer, you’ll have the key role to support the project leaders (i.e. interns) in developing and implementing the programme of the Sustainability Day. You’ll get to share your ideas, and develop your organisational and event management skills. You will receive a gift and certificate of participation that you can include in your CV. Apply by 3 October 2024.
What work will you do?
- Help in the administrative organisation of the Sustainability Day (i.e. programme development, sponsoring, event bookings)
- Support in the successful implementation of the Sustainability Day (marketing and communication, programme implementation, follow-up)
- Raise awareness among your peers and the university staff for topics related to sustainable development
- Support the development of the project report
- Bring innovative and creative ideas!
Your profile?
- A BSc or MSc student at the ZHAW
- General understanding or interest in sustainability, the SDGs and IDGs
- Basic organisational skills
- Good understanding of German and English
- Creativity and ideas
- Time (about 80 hours between October 2024 and May 2025)
- Eagerness to learn!
What can you expect?
The organisation of the event has four main phases:
- Programme development: This phase involves three in-person workshops that go beyond event planning, focusing on developing critical thinking, systems thinking, and anticipatory competencies. Participants will explore the SDGs and IDGs, reflecting on key sustainability challenges and opportunities. Guided by SML PRME and ZHAW sustainable coaches, the team will design the Sustainability Day programme while building essential skills for sustainable development.
- Event promotion: After finalising the programme details, the next step is for the team to implement a communication plan to promote the event effectively. Through regular online check-in meetings, the team will refine its promotional efforts, ensuring that the event garners the attention it deserves.
- Sustainability Day @ZHAW: This is the core of our efforts – the team will put their plans into action, managing logistics, coordinating activities, and ensuring a smooth, impactful event.
- Wrap up and celebration: The final phase involves the fourth in-person workshop where the team will reflect on the key learnings of the event. The project leaders will then develop a final project report that captures the outcomes and insights gained. The process will culminate in a team celebration, where certificates of participation will be distributed.
Timeline
A closer look at the kick-off and the workshops
During the kick-off and the workshops, taking place in person in Zurich, you will get to dive deeper into the topics of sustainability, the SDGs and the IDGs and work collaboratively on developing the programme of the Sustainability Day.
Kick-off & Brainstorming
Content: This introductory workshop will serve as a warm-up session where the team gets to know each other. It also includes an introduction to the SDGs and the IDGs and an initial brainstorming session to generate ideas for the event, setting the stage for the creative journey ahead.
Date: 15 October 2024, 10:00-12:00
Place: ZL O2.10, Lagerstrasse 41, 8004 Zurich
Workshop 1: SDGs Deep Dive & Programme Design
Content: The team will dive deeper into the SDGs and IDGs, selecting the specific goals, motto, and key topics for the event, as well as establishing clear roles and responsibilities for all team members. The development of the event programme will begin.
Date: 29 October 2024, 10:00-12:00
Place: ZL O2.10, Lagerstrasse 41, 8004 Zurich
Workshop 2: Programme Outline & Logistics
Content: The team will review the initial structure of the event programme, make necessary adjustments and initiate the setup of logistics for the organisation of the event.
Date: 19 November 2024, 10:00-12:00
Place: ZL O2.10, Lagerstrasse 41, 8004 Zurich
Workshop 3: Programme Finalisation
Content: The project team will work on the final details, ensuring that all elements of the Sustainability Day programme are well-planned and cohesive, ready for execution.
Date: 10 December 2024, 10:00-12:00
Place: ZL O2.10, Lagerstrasse 41, 8004 Zurich
Workshop 4: Post-Event Reflection & Feedback
Content: After the Sustainability Day, this final workshop will be dedicated to reviewing the event's success, discussing feedback and key learnings. The team will reflect on the experience, identifying areas of improvement for future events.
Date: 6 May 2024, 10:00-12:00
Place: Zurich (exact place tbd)
Overview of past events
About the Sustainability Day
According to a survey among ZHAW School of Management and Law (SML) students in 2019, more than one-third would welcome more extracurricular activities on topics related to sustainable development and responsible business. This result has led to the launch of the "Sustainability Day @SML" project, rebranded and expanded to the whole university as “Sustainability Day @ZHAW” in 2024 – an annual sustainability event dedicated to social responsibility and sustainable development. It is organised entirely by students with the support of SML PRME and ZHAW sustainable. It is aimed at students and employees of all ZHAW schools, and the general public. The Sustainability Day aims to raise awareness and sensitise participants about sustainability-specific topics, while promoting the dialogue in this field.