Problem Solving Skills in a Community
Develop and demonstrate through projects a suite of sophisticated skills related to applying theoretical knowledge to problem-solving in a community. Evaluate the specific environmental challenges that a community faces and synthesize and apply knowledge to create sustainable and resilient action plans in the community.
COM 6070 Grant Writing Workshop
The grant writing workshop proved instrumental in furthering the development of the Living Classroom program and the Montessori School of Maui’s (MOMI) connection to community organizations. During this class, I researched, crafted, and submitted a proposal to construct a greenhouse on our campus to support a collaborative native plant propagation program between MOMI, the Leeward Haleakala Watershed Restoration Partnership (LHWRP) and the Skyline Conservation Initiative (SCI). This partnership will work together towards restoring Maui’s native forests, thereby bolstering the health of our island ecosystems and creating more resilient communities. Half of the requested funds were awarded in September 2018, and over the next six months, chance encounters and relationship building led me to a source for the remainder of the funds. The Native Plant Propagation Program is now entirely financed, under construction, and will soon support the curriculum goals of the Living Classroom.
RSC 5020 Climate Change & Resource Impacts
As the global climate changes, Hawaiʻi is beginning to experience the effects of this phenomenon in a multitude of ways. This course introduced methods to locate, analyze, and apply climate data to identify regional indicators of global climate change, assess their impacts, and determine appropriate community responses at a variety of scales.
RSC 5050 Theories of Sustainability & Resilience
Sustainability and resilience are different, yet complementary goals that were explored within the context of a systems framework and at multiple spatial and temporal scales that were interlinked between social, economic, and biophysical domains. During this class, I developed and applied sustainability indicators, goals, and objectives to achieve viable solutions for the increased sustainability and resilience of the Montessori School of Maui.
Supporting Coursework:
COM 6070 Native Plant Propagation Program Grant Proposal Narrative
RSC 5020 Climate Change and Maui: Indicators, Impacts, and Responses