RCE Greater Portland-2014

rce_proj_title_2013
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1. Project Title: 
E4 Sustainability TeamWorks Team
2. Thematic area/s addressed by the project
Select your options: 
Sustainable Consumption and Production (SCP)
3. Project partner contact information : 
Organization: 
RCE Greater Portland
Role: 
Coordinator
Main Contact: 
Kim Smith ([email protected])
5. Project description
Provide a short description of the project including strategies, regional challenges, aims and specific project activities.: 

Eight students from Portland Community College (PCC) and four community members joined a Hands On Greater Portland TeamWorks team, in April and May, 2014, to explore education for sustainable development. They participated in a series of lectures, readings, and service projects focused on the 4 “Es” of sustainability: Education; Environment; Economy; and Equity.


GOALS

• Explore local E4 sustainability challenges

• Identify existing sustainability education initiatives

• Empower participants to recognize the contributions they can make in their communities

• Engage participants in meaningful service projects

• Foster citizenship and social sustainability through community-based learning

• Facilitate reflection on the quality and impact of their service.


The TeamWorks model was developed by Hands On Greater Portland in order to deepen the engagement of community member in service projects, so that participants could learn the structural and cultural foundations of why they should address social, economic, and environmental issues and how they can make a difference.


RCE Greater Portland Coordinator and Sociology Professor, Kim Smith, served as the Team Leader and organized the TeamWorks’ learning objectives. Hands On Greater Portland’s TeamWorks Coordinator, Melia Tichenor, scheduled all of the service projects with established partners, based on the E4 themes, including serving meals to the hungry at Potluck in the Park, a film release for Wisdom of the Elders, a lecture on sustainable development for Earth Day, beautifying an elementary school, and reclaiming building materials at the Rebuilding Center.


Reflection exercises, evaluation forms, and reflection papers were embedded into the service projects, following each session, in order to help participants recognize the benefits of their actions, as well as ways that the projects could be improved.


7. Provide references and reference materials : 
PDF icon GPSEN E4 TeamWorks Case Study.pdf
6. Project status
Finalized
Description: 
It was a great success! The team filled up quickly and received positive feedback, with the following results:

11 participants completed the TeamWorks team
• Over 575 total community members engaged over all in the events
• 152 total hours of volunteer time were contributed by TeamWorks participants
• 7 local sustainability organizations benefitted from service projects
• Over 600 meals were served to those in need in Portland, at Potluck in the Park
• 75 students and community members screened the Wisdom of the Elders films and participated in group discussions about Native cultures and climate change
• 9 TeamWorks participants and over 400 Comcast employees engaged in the Centennial Beautification Project. 55 trees were planted, 2 tons of mulch was spread, and 7 school rooms and hallways were scrubbed and painted at a local elementary school
• Over 100 pieces of recycled lumber were de-nailed and made ready for resale
• Two students have joined additional TeamWorks teams and one has become a Team Leader.
8. Tagging
Region: 
Americas