Now that the spring semester is in full stride, my Junior-level “Policy and Governance” class is once again engaged in a number of sustainability consulting engagements with local and state governmental agencies. Student teams of 4 or 5 are working as consultants for government officials and responding to questions solicited from the agencies. The projects include:
- Helping Avondale research and set up a farmer’s market;
- Creating a plan for Gilbert’s Water Conservation group to reduce commercial water consumption;
- Supporting Queen Creek’s efforts to have green waste pick up for its residents; and
- Working with the Arizona State Forestry’s Urban and Community Forestry group on management of edible trees.
In the coming weeks, I’ll provide more details about the projects and what the consultants are recommending. I’m very excited about these projects in terms of providing great experiential learning opportunities for the students, strengthening ties between the School of Sustainability and its community, and providing workable solutions to practitioners’ real issues.
michaelschoon 