University of South Carolina
EN-9: Community Partnerships

1. A priority of the University’s sustainability plan, strategic plan and mission is community engagement and specifically in the form of service and outreach. This includes partnership with local and state non-profit organizations, local and state governments and industry. A partial list of community engagement efforts by the University includes: -Regional sustainability conference for colleges, state agencies and local school districts -Partnering with SC Conservation Voters for Annual Lobby Day for students -Partner with Sustainable Midlands to put on training events and local initiatives -Member of Columbia Climate Protection Action Campaign -Hosting meetings and member of: SC Chapter US Green Building Council, Keep the Midlands Beautiful, Palmetto Pride, Trout Unlimited, Urban Land Institute, SC Chapter of Sierra Club, SC Solar Council and more -Developing and supporting the Rocky Branch Watershed Alliance and Gills Creek Watershed Alliance -Home of Infinite Habitat @ Innovista, a sustainability institute that partners with industry and non-profits to provide sustainable facility design and management -Founding member of Engenuity SC promoting green jobs and the green economy -Founding member of Sustainable Universities Initiative to bring state colleges together to work on sustainability issues -Support and host Green Congregations and Public/Faith Community Eco Education program with the City of Columbia and Sustainable Midlands -Working with local school district to develop high school level sustainability curriculum -Partnered with Center for Teaching Excellence to train K-12 teachers on sustainability -Faculty and staff sit on numerous local and state climate/environmental committees and advisory boards -President integrates sustainability regularly into speeches and writings -Provide green gardening seminars and training to the campus and local community -Dedicated project teams under Sustainable Carolina on campus responsible for Community Engagement 2. Sustainable Carolina Farm & Garden • Timeframes: Year-round; ongoing program • How multiple dimensions of sustainability are addressed: Sustainable business practices, environmental health, wellbeing, health education, diversity (plants and participants), social sustainability and equity, self-sufficiency knowledge booster • How the institution supports the partnership: Funds all basic farm operation purposes and promotes opportunities through social media and newsletters • How campus and local community members are engaged: Facebook activity, Special weekend service days, free educational summer camp for underprivileged youth, community farmer’s market interaction, community member participants, community business donations, sales to dining facilities on campus, participation at on-campus farmer’s market • http://www.sc.edu/green/garden/ 3. K-12 Garden Club • Timeframes: Year-round; ongoing program • How multiple dimensions of sustainability are addressed: healthy eating (using the garden), recycling process, basic environmental processes (ex. dance the water cycle) • How the institution supports the partnership: Provides unpaid interns to attend the club meetings, plan all of the lessons, and materials • How campus and local community members are engaged: Partnership is formed in advance between USC staff and the local school; interns plan out lessons and activities, then attend meetings to educate students in the clubs • http://www.sc.edu/green/k12/

1. Carolina Survivors Garden • Timeframes: Our newest program, beginning this February. Timeframe: Feb-May, September-beginning of December; hours outside of fall and spring semesters TBD. ongoing program • How multiple dimensions of sustainability are addressed: International relations, horticultural therapy and sustainable wellbeing, cultural humility practice, social equity and wellbeing • How the institution supports the partnership: All materials, infrastructure, some transportation, volunteer program leaders, garden maintenance, ESL/cultural humility training • How campus and local community members are engaged: Participants are members from the local community (refugee victims of war and torture, screened at Carolina Survivor’s Clinic), and volunteer assistants are students on campus • http://www.sc.edu/green/garden/event.php 2. Sprouts • Timeframes: Feb-November, site visits every other week, ongoing program • How multiple dimensions of sustainability are addressed: Sustainability across generations, horticultural therapy and sustainable wellbeing • How the institution supports the partnership: Provides a graduate student of social work to plan and lead program visits, utilizes social media and marketing for advertisement, recruits student volunteers as program support • How campus and local community members are engaged: College of Social Work and student interns at Sustainable Carolina come from two different backgrounds to team up and visit community members, being Sprouts program participants at their senior home, Carolina Gardens Senior Living • http://www.sc.edu/green/garden/event.php

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