Lehigh University
IN-3: Innovation 3

Lehigh University created an International Peace Garden. The garden has enabled us to teach our International students about sustainable practices and healthy eating while promoting faculty-student interaction. In the summer of 2014, a Green Fund grant was approved by the Lehigh University sustainability committee, which funded the establishment of the International Peace Garden. Additionally, in the spring of 2015 and summer of 2016, the International Peace Garden was awarded a grant through the Council for Equity and Community at Lehigh University. This International Peace Garden project is part of the StepUp intensive English program, which provides comprehensive language and cultural training for students who will matriculate into undergraduate and graduate programs at Lehigh University. This program is based on the principle that the integration of skills provides a natural framework for students to develop in their second language. The focus during the first year of the garden was eco-composition. The garden provided students with the opportunity to draw inspiration from nature for their writing. Process writing was taught by documenting the progress of the garden in student journals. Based on this success, the scope of student involvement was expanded through continued opportunities to collaborate in the design, care, and maintenance of the garden, thus building community through experiential learning, problem-solving, and negotiation. Drawing on this success, the aim is to continue this project including establishing a more reliable and sustainable water source, with the possible incorporation of a rain barrel. The seeds of collaboration were sown in our small community, and we welcome the opportunity for further campus collaboration with the garden.