Sustainability Fellowship Presentations in the Methow Valley

Check out this video to watch the Sustainability Fellowship Presentations in the Methow Valley - August 23

Check out this video to watch the Sustainability Fellowship Presentations in the Methow Valley - August 30.

It has been an action-packed summer for the cohort of 18 WWU students completing their Sustainability Pathways fellowships in the Methow Valley! Sustainability Pathways supports young people pursuing careers in the emerging green-economy while advancing sustainability initiatives locally. The 11-week residential program pairs practicum work experiences in a wide range of sustainability fields with aligned coursework in community-based project management. 

This summer, 18 students are working with organizations, agencies, towns, health clinics, the school district, the library, farms, and businesses where they develop professional skills while putting theory into practice. The cohort is intentionally interdisciplinary, spanning dimensions of sustainability that includes planning students bringing capacity to the town planning offices in Winthrop, Twisp, and Okanogan; public health students with the Foundation for Youth Resiliency and Engagement and supporting projects with Family Health Centers; environmental science students with Home Range Wildlife Research, Department of Fish and Wildlife, and the Methow Beaver Project; and environmental studies and policy students working in circular economy and zero waste with Methow Recycles and TwispWorks (among many others).

Over the eleven-week program students develop a tight-knit community as a cohort and experience place-based learning in the Methow Valley with the support of mentors, partner organizations, and our regional networks with Career Connect WA and the WA Campus Coalition for the Public Good. The program culminates with two days of presentations to share the community-sponsored course projects and hear about the learning outcomes each student experienced. 

Please join us in-person or via zoom for any portions of the presentations you can make. 

The project presentations for the Sustainability Planning Studio course will be on Wednesday, August 23rd from 1:30-3:30pm. 

The individual student synthesis presentations will be on Wednesday, August 30th from 9:00am-12:45pm followed by an end-of-program celebration lunch at 1:00pm. During the synthesis presentations, students share what they did in their practicum for the summer and highlight their key learning outcomes. Refreshments will be served and the lunch will be Sri Lankan cuisine provided by Lal’s Fork (where students have been dedicated regulars!) 

Both presentations and the celebration will be held in the Your-Space classroom at TwispWorks (502 South Glover St, Twisp, WA 98856). The complete schedule is listed at the top of this page. 

Thanks in advance for your RSVP so we can plan food accordingly, and deep gratitude for your continued engagement, support, and interest in Sustainability Pathways.

We look forward to sharing and celebrating all this cohort has accomplished with you!

In community, 

Joshua, Raechel, & Aly 

Visit our Instagram to see some glimpses of the cohort in action.

Learn More About the Program

Sustainability Pathways has awarded over $60,000 in fellowships this summer, bringing capacity to organizational partners in the Methow and Okanogan Valleys while providing immersive experiential learning for students. The program is currently funded via grants with Career Connect WA and the Sustainability, Equity, and Justice Fund at WWU, as well as philanthropic support. Sustainability Pathways is part of the Urban and Environmental Planning and Policy Department in the College of the Environment and works in close partnership with the WWU Sustainability Engagement Institute and the Climate Leadership Certificate. Students also serve as Civic Leadership and Engagement Corps members, an AmeriCorps program through the Washington Campus Coalition for the Public Good.

Visit our WWU office on campus (next to Methow Valley News), or reach out to Joshua Porter (Joshua.Porter@wwu.edu) to learn more about the program and explore ideas for sponsoring projects, fellowships, housing, or other collaboration.

Unable to attend but want to support the Sustainability Pathways program, click here.