Overview
The Chesapeake Project is a learning community of University of Maryland faculty who are finding unique ways of teaching about sustainability across the disciplines to prepare students to find solutions to the world`s most challenging problems. The name of this initiative, the Chesapeake Project, represents two ideas: (1) that the University of Maryland is joining a network of other colleges and universities that are making strides to integrate sustainability through their own projects (ex. the Piedmont Project at Emory U., the Ponderosa Project at Northern Arizona U., etc.) and (2) that Maryland faculty will use ecological, social, and economic examples from around the Chesapeake region to help our students see the connection between curriculum and place.
Central to the Chesapeake Project is a two-day workshop designed to help University of Maryland faculty integrate sustainability across all academic disciplines. Participants learn about core concepts of environmental, economic, and social sustainability from resource experts who help the participants integrate sustainability into their existing courses. Through these revised courses, students will have the opportunity to explore sustainability through artistic, cultural, historical, mathematical, philosophical, and scientific lenses to gain a more comprehensive understanding of the subject. For instance, an art professor might lead a class discussion about sustainable materials and a math professor might frame math problems as they relate to the declining oyster population of the Chesapeake Bay. This integration across the disciplines helps students think critically about their local environment, fosters interdisciplinary learning and problem solving, and prepares students to find solutions to complex 21st century problems.
Join the Faculty Learning Community!
All University of Maryland faculty in all academic disciplines are welcome to join the discussion about integrating sustainability across the curriculum. The 26 enthusiastic faculty (representing 20 diverse disciplines) who participated in the inaugural Chesapeake Project Workshop in May 2009 decided to grow this conversation by developing the resources page on this website and creating the Chesapeake Project listserv. The faculty also plan on hosting brown-bag luncheons during the fall and spring semesters to create opportunities for open, interdisciplinary dialogue about sustainability. If you would like to join the listserv or want to contribute to the resources page, please email Mark Stewart, Campus Sustainability Coordinator, at stewartm@umd.edu.
When is the Next Workshop?
The next Chesapeake Project Workshop will be held in May 2010. Please check back at this website or subscribe to the Chesapeake Project listserv to find information about the next workshop once it is released.
What Will I Learn During the Workshop?
You will learn about the monumental challenges our students are expected to solve in their lifetimes, from global warming to unsustainable economies, and how to motivate your students to become thoughtful leaders for the 21st century. You will discover and provide your own examples of how our local environment offers prime opportunities for place-based problem solving. With the help of resource experts and fellow workshop participants, you will find new ways of integrating sustainability into your existing courses -- not as an add-on but as a lens through which to view your discipline -- so that University of Maryland students will earn a comprehensive and multidisciplinary appreciation for complex sustainability issues.
During and/or following the May workshop, faculty participants are expected to modify at least one course taught in the following fall or spring semesters. The faculty member will submit the revised course syllabus and a one page description of how sustainability will be addressed in the course to receive the workshop stipend. The syllabus should include a statement to students that summarizes the one page description.
Who is Organizing This?
The Chesapeake Project is an initiative of the Office of Sustainability with support from the Center for Teaching Excellence. The workshop is facilitated by Office of Sustainability staff and UM faculty who have experience teaching about sustainability in non-environmental courses. Additional faculty members serve as resource experts to provide overviews of environmental, social, and economic sustainability.
Sponsors
The Office of Sustainability would like to thank the Colleges, Schools, and organizations whose generous support makes the 2009 Chesapeake Project Workshop possible, including:
- Center for Teaching Excellence
- Office of Undergraduate Studies
- Robert H. Smith School of Business
- College of Agriculture and Natural Resources
- College of Arts and Humanities
- School of Architecture, Planning, and Preservation
- College of Chemical and Life Sciences
- National Center for Smart Growth
- Division of Administrative Affairs
- Chesapeake Bay Foundation