The Sustainable Communities Partnership (SCP), housed in the Center for Global and Local Engagement’s Office of Sustainability Initiatives, will hold an open house April 8 and a workshop April 22 for faculty members from all disciplines who are interested in learning how to integrate a local sustainability project into their courses.
SCP is in its pilot semester at St. Thomas. The program works by partnering with city or government entities to link city-identified sustainability projects with St. Thomas courses. This spring and summer, more than 120 students, from across 12 courses and 10 departments, are gaining real-world experience by investigating innovative and creative solutions to 14 sustainability projects in collaboration with SCP's pilot partners: Delano, Elk River and the Mississippi Watershed Management Organization.
Through an SCP partnership, cities move forward with innovative approaches and solutions to a set of sustainability projects important to them. Students develop applied problem-solving skills and build relationships with leaders in the Twin Cities, learning first hand what they can do with their field of study after they graduate. Faculty integrate experiential learning into their courses to enrich their teaching. SCP facilitates this process to create a mutually beneficial, collaborative partnership that advances the common good.
For those interested in learning more about integrating an SCP project into a fall 2016 or spring 2017 course, SCP will be holding two events.
A Sustainable Communities Partnership Open House, will take place Friday, April 8, from 3-4:30 p.m. in the Anderson Student Center, Room 202. Stop by to meet city partners, learn about projects and discover how courses can participate. Light refreshments will be provided. No RSVP is needed.
A Sustainable Communities Partnership Happy Hour Workshop will take place Friday, April 22, from 3-5 p.m. in LIB 303. Current faculty will hold a panel discussion about their experiences with their SCP projects. Refreshments will be provided. Please RSVP to Maria Dahmus. Space is limited.
