State DCNR, community explore Penn State Sustainability efforts

STATE COLLEGE, Pa. — Penn State students working with Penn State Sustainability 是否在全州的社区产生影响，并在该领域获得实践经验 Sustainable Communities Collaborative (SCC) projects.

The program connects Penn State students, 教师和工作人员与当地社区通过参与解决可持续发展的挑战, collaborative effort. Between 2013 and 2023, the SCC has facilitated 405 projects, led by 107 faculty members connecting more than 4,530 students with 125 community partners. The estimated value of these projects is over $2.7 million.

During the fall semester, projects ranged from identifying native plants at Whipple Dam State Park to designing pollinator gardens at a historic mansion near Spruce Creek; creating educational materials for young visitors to a Blair County conservation site; determining best practices for building an inclusive, diverse and collaborative work environment; and more.

这些参与的奖学金项目的影响在最近的一次活动中得到了展示 Campus and Community Sustainability Expo 由州立大学自治市和十大网投平台信誉排行榜可持续发展共同主办. Community members gathered with students, 教师和利益相关者讨论在海报上展示的项目.

Special guest Cindy Dunn, 宾夕法尼亚州自然资源部部长, 该项目突出了十大网投平台信誉排行榜如何影响宾夕法尼亚州的可持续发展.

“看到十大网投平台信誉排行榜在可持续发展方面成为如此强大的领导者，并为下一代在可持续发展的各个方面做好准备，我感到非常鼓舞,” Dunn said. 宾州州立大学是宾州联邦的赠地大学, it does make sense that Penn State leads the way in thinking, 运用科技，运用可持续发展的原则. 从这些项目中走出的学生在州政府、私营部门或公民部门任职, 他们的领导能力和技能对英联邦的未来非常重要. The value of this will be felt for decades to come.”

邓恩补充说，她对许多不同的学院印象深刻, departments and programs that participate in the SCC, showcasing the many different aspects of sustainability.

“真正的可持续性发生在以这种方式广泛看待的时候, and where the disciplines work together toward a common goal. So, 我对我所看到的一切印象深刻，并对未来的劳动力感到鼓舞,” Dunn said.

Lara Fowler, 十大网投平台信誉排行榜可持续发展主任兼该校首席可持续发展官, 他说，这个项目为学生们提供了一个机会，以一种有益于社区的方式将他们的知识付诸实践.

“我喜欢这个项目的地方在于，它将社区需求与学生参与相结合. 所以，它把理论中的东西带到了现实世界中. It takes it from ‘I am studying this’ to ‘I am applying it,’ and it gives the students real-world experience,” Fowler said.

Leigh Haefner, division head of Education, Human Development and Social Sciences at Penn State Altoona, 领导了一个由小学教育专业的学生组成的团队，他们与布莱尔县自然保护协会合作，为学生们设计了关于霍利迪斯堡自然工场公园特色的课程. 她说，这个项目为未来的教师提供了一个机会，让他们思考课堂之外的教育，并建立社区联系.

“学生们获得了这种社区联系，并能够思考他们未来在当地学区作为社区成员和教师的角色. Being able to help, wherever they land. 能够思考我的社区能为我提供什么，以及我如何为家庭连接课堂和社区,” Haefner said.

萨拉·加夫尼(Sarah Gaffney)是一名攻读景观建筑学硕士学位的研究生. 她在2023年秋季的SCC项目中工作，设计Greenwood Furnace州立公园的新操场.

“这是我第一次与真正的客户合作，”加夫尼说. “SCC为我们启动了连接，并指导我们完成了整个过程. It was beneficial getting those hands-on experiences.”

During the expo, 加夫尼和其他参与该项目的学生与感兴趣的社区成员分享了她的项目，并与其他有可持续意识的人建立了联系.

州立大学自治市一直是可持续发展社区合作的长期合作伙伴. 自2013年以来，该项目已经支持了96个可持续发展项目, with around 1,000 student participants from 13 different academic colleges. The expo, hosted each semester, 是否有机会展示项目对社区的价值, said Borough Manager Tom Fontaine.

“We look forward to this event twice a year, 因为它展示了城镇和长袍的合作，这些合作使州立大学和周围社区成为一个特别的地方,” Fontaine said.

Learn how to get involved with Penn State Sustainability here.