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Department of Agricultural, Environmental, and Development Economics

CFAES

AEDE to Partner on New Sustainability Learning Community with OSU Housing

April 16, 2014

In Autumn 2014, a new Ohio State learning community, Students Understanding Sustainability and Taking Action to Improve Nature and Society (SUSTAINS), will launch on the Ohio State campus with support from AEDE.

The learning community is currently recruiting students. Students interested in becoming a member of the SUSTAINS Learning Community must complete a Learning Community Application by May 2, 2014. When completing the contract, students should select Nosker House as their requested place of residence. Housing Contracts are sent to students at their Ohio State email accounts beginning in March based upon paid acceptance to the University.

Ohio State’s learning communities are managed by University Housing and are comprised of groups of students who live together on a residence hall floor and who have a common major, career, and/or personal interests. Through partnerships with a variety of academic departments, faculty and staff, students have exclusive access to activities that tie directly into their academic success at Ohio State.

The SUSTAINS learning community is targeted at undergraduates studying or interested in the environment and will focus on helping students to explore and engage with sustainability topics and investigate human interaction with environmental problems. Through discussion, service and hands-on learning, students who are members of this community will learn about best practices for sustainable living and have opportunities to explore how sustainability relates to their lives and the lives of others.

The community will offer the following highlights:

  • Engagement with faculty on research projects and learning opportunities, including sustainability education, systems thinking, community development, and social equity.
  • Site visits to green business locations for tours and discussion with faculty.
  • Participation in Columbus-wide service days (Earth Week) and campus activities for Earth Day.
  • Early arrival programming, including an introduction to the learning community by SUSTAINS faculty and staff.

Other partners on the community include Ohio State's School of Environment and Natural Resources and the College of Food, Agricultural, and Environmental Sciences. For additonal information, please contact Gina Hnytka

April 16, 2014