Trainings and on-site visit
Champions will attend an online informational kick-off meeting followed by a site visit of their property with Hennepin County staff to identify what challenges their property faces and opportunities for improvement. They will then complete one in-person training session on waste reduction and recycling and complete a work plan with staff before implementing their projects. Meetings and trainings will be a combination of in-person and online to accommodate champion availability.
Project activities and opportunities
Champions will conduct a range of activities such as distributing educational materials and setting up an organics recycling program. Champions may select preapproved projects or suggest innovative project ideas. Preapproved projects are categorized into three levels that build on each other. Champions are required to complete level 1 with the option to continue on to level 2 or level 3 projects.
Example project opportunities include, but are not limited to:
- Level 1 (basic outreach): distributing recycling guides and monitoring trash and recycling areas for contamination
- Level 2 (hosting an event or demonstration): a recycling training with a waste-sorting activity, a cooking demonstration for food waste reduction, organizing a reuse/swap event
- Level 3 (special project): setting up an organics program or plastic bag collection program at their building, organizing bulky waste/mattress collection
Champion cohort
Champions from different properties will become a cohort, offering their experiences and support and learning from each other. The champion cohort will attend the trainings, mid-program check-in, and final celebration together. A platform will be made available, allowing champions to have regular communication to ask questions and support each other's projects and goals.
Commitment
Apartment Recycling Champions participate in the program for a six-month term.
During these six months, champions commit to:
- Attending a kick-off informational meeting hosted online
- Conducting a site visit with county staff
- Completing one waste reduction and recycling training session hosted in person (location to be determined)
- Developing a work plan with county staff
- Conducting level 1 (basic outreach) activities, and optionally implementing level 2 (event or demonstration) or level 3 (special project) activities
- Checking in monthly with county recycling staff
- Submitting a monthly report form that includes hours worked, project tasks completed, and residents engaged
- Attending a mid-program check-in and final celebration
Compensation
Champions will be paid $250 per month for eight hours of work per month. We recommend two hours per week. If less than eight hours of work per month is completed, champions will be compensated for actual hours logged in monthly report form with a maximum of eight hours. Trainings and meetings may count toward hours.