Tag Archives: service learning

Community-Based Research with South Madison Farmers Market

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Course Title: Environmental Studies 600 Section 005: CBR with SMFM
Semester: Fall 2013 and Spring 2014
Instructor/CUE Affiliate: Dadit Hidayat, Alfonso Morales, and Margaret Nellis
Community Partner: South Madison Farmers Market (SMFM)

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Abstract: SMFM is looking for a more effective strategy to educate South Madison community about fresh, safe, and affordable food.  The new strategy is expected to improve local market (buyers) as well local vendors participation in the market (sellers).

Student Learning Goals:

  • learn specific methodological skills for conducting community-based research
  • conduct research on informal market which will address the area of multifunctionality agriculture (sustainable agriculture, local food, community development, and health promotion)
  • identify and implement community organizing tactic

Deliverable Product or Service:

  • identified strategies for community actions
  • strategies implementation through community organizing efforts

CUE Project Area: South Madison

Grant involved: Charlotte Zieve Community Environmental Scholars Program

Document(s):

  • syllabus
  • CBR with South Madison Farmers Market, CUE Newsletter Vol II Issue 2

Community and School Gardens

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Course Title: Env Studies 600: Community and School Gardens in Southwest Madison
Semester: Spring 2013, Fall 2013, Spring 2014
Instructor/CUE Affiliate: Ashleigh Ross and Sam Dennis, Jr.
Community Partner: Toki Middle School, Front Yard Gardens, Meadowood Neighborhood Center, and Orchard Ridge United Church of Christ

middle school students, with a Nelson Institune student, presenting their collaborative projecta group photo of middle school students and the capstone group

Abstract: This capstone course works directly with 6th grade teachers and students from Toki Middle School to design their school and community garden. The course covers environmental education, garden and landscape design, and community gardening.

Student Learning Goals:

CUE Project Area: Southwest Madison

Documents:

  • Spring 2013 [syllabus]
  • Summer 2013 [syllabus]
  • Fall 2013 [syllabus]
  • Spring 2014 [syllabus]

GreenFreiburg in Madison

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Course Title: Env Studies 699: Directed Study: GreenSummer Freiburg in Madison
Semester: Summer 2012
Instructor/CUE Affiliate: Nancy Mathews, Alfonso Morales, Global Health Institute
Community Partner: GreenLink Projects LLC
Related Activity: GreenSummer Freiburg

Abstract: The course is designed as a community-based learning course. We will learn together about environmental sustainability, its direct and vital relationship to global health issues, and how our efforts in Madison might be enhanced going forward. To put this into context, we will be using Freiburg’s globally-recognized successes as a benchmark. In addition to learning about a variety of sustainability-related programs, projects and initiatives in Freiburg, we will work to identify existing sustainability-related initiatives and programs in Madison, and then envision what enhanced or new concepts might look like based on the Freiburg models.

Student Learning Goals: By setting some of Freiburg’s green efforts in the context of the Madison region, students will be able to reflect on the importance of various ‘green’ concepts and their importance to the global health system. Students will be challenged to discuss positives of health-related aspects of renewable energy and energy efficiency technologies (eg: manure-based biogas digesters keep phosphorus out of our regional lake system, which increases water quality for recreation and fishing).

Deliverable Product or Service:

  • MadEco Guide. A campus sustainability guide and will be distributed to students through the Office of Sustainability, Campus’ Residence GreenHouse community, and other locations such as Union South.

Document:

GreenSummer Freiburg

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Overview: This project is designed around two catalysts: the Freiburg-Madison Sister City program, an ‘official’ relationship between the two cities which was initiated over twenty years ago, and also the many exchange programs that have existed between UW-Madison and Uni-Freiburg for over 45 years. The City of Freiburg is currently known as one of the most sustainable cities in the world and has been very supportive of helping its Sister Cities grow their green infrastructure capacity. The City of Madison and the UW-Madison have a unique and excellent partner to help support ‘green’ efforts in the greater Madison region.

UW-Madison students spent six weeks in Freiburg learning about transit, renewable energy, passive house design, sustainable neighborhoods, solid waste digesters, green tourism and environmental economics. While there were there, students lived for the summer in the sustainable neighborhood of Vauban to experience firsthand many applications of sustainable living.

Students learning about solar/green roof of 100% renewable-powered hotel in Freiburg (CUE, 2011).

Objectives: Students are charged by Freiburg leaders to bring back knowledge of their advanced technologies to inform decisions about sustainability initiatives in Madison, for two reasons: to establish business partnerships for their Green Business Cluster with Madison-based stakeholders; and as a globally recognized leader in sustainability, a commitment to help their sister-cities move from incremental to transformational change.

Students Learning Goals:

  • Experience firsthand the many aspects of the sustainable living in Freiburg

Deliverable Products or Services:

  • volunteered with the city parks in a program bringing citizens together to plant trees, clean stream beds, and maintain park equipment.
  • shadowed passiv-haus architect and delivered research on building materials to Madison-based urban planner.
  • provided assistance as interns in a solar research team at the Fraunhofer ISE.

CUE Affiliates: Nancy Mathews, Beth Tryon
Community Partners: Wisconsin Without Borders, Greenlink Projects, LLC
Related Activity: GreenFreiburg in Madison

Documents:

  • Beth Tryon. May 2012. Green Summer in Freiburg. Living Knowledge, International Journal  of Community-Based Research, No. 10, page 24.

News/articles related to GreenFreiburg:

 

Margaret Nellis

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Manager, Academic Partnerships, University Health Services & Faculty Associate, Interdisciplinary Studies, School of Human Ecology

Expertise: Connecting key health and community development issues to the academic work of the university through place-based learning, service learning, cultural tours and community-based research. Partnering with faculty development initiatives on campus to identify and promote educational practices that foster student learning, health and well-being. Linking students and instructors with the people, places and cultural assets of South Madison to learn while contributing to the revitalization of the Park Street corridor (the gateway to campus).

[Email] [Webpage]

CUE Projects: