Teams from 11 school districts and two Career & Technical Centers came together at the Energy Innovation Center (EIC) in March for presentations and poster displays of projects they designed to move their communities or schools toward greater sustainability.
All participated over the past semester in the Student Sustainability Design Challenge (SSDC), a Project-Based Learning (PBL) program we hosted in cooperation with the EIC. Students designed their projects around one or more of the United Nations’ 17 Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs), and more than 20 corporations, universities, and community organizations involved in sustainability themselves, supported students in their work.
“We intentionally design the SSDC to achieve multiple objectives for each of our partners,” said the Consortium’s Executive Director, Jackie Foor. “For students, our primary targets, the program helps illustrate the relevancy of what they learn in the classroom and how it can be applied to solve real-world problems. It also helps them build important employability skills like problem solving, teamwork, and communication.
“For our corporate and higher ed partners,” Foor added, “participation provides opportunities to connect with prospective students and workers and raise their awareness about different academic programs and career pathways.”
The culminating event amply illustrated all of those outcomes, said Don Evans, President and Chief Executive of Pittsburgh Gateways, which owns and operates the EIC. “It was phenomenal. I was just overwhelmed by the students’ preparation and their engagement—these were really switched-on kids.” (Readers can see for themselves in a video from the event!)
Evans also found the SSDC notable for acquainting students with the work local companies and organizations are doing around sustainability.
In addition to familiarizing students with those approaches, interaction with these employers also gave them opportunities to learn about careers while giving the employers opportunities to showcase their sustainability initiatives and jobs.
For teachers, the Challenge offered focus for a PBL experience with “real-world” exposure and authenticity built in. In addition, it provided connections to businesses and organizations interested in partnering with schools.
More than 120 students presented a total of 30 projects at the EIC, and more than 50 professionals attended.
Projects ranged from ones aimed at addressing social inequities, like plans for redesigning an elementary school playground in Hampton to create greater accessibility, to others aimed at environmental concerns. Allegheny Valley High School, for example, focused on raising awareness about water quality issues and contamination with PFAs (Polyfluoroalkyls), while one of four Highlands High School projects focused on recycling food waste as compost. Three other Highlands’ teams variously did projects to increase civic engagement; support low-income peers with SAT test preparation; and revitalize a once-bustling shopping plaza in their community by attracting small businesses.
One project undertaken among students from two Career & Technology Centers (Parkway West and Beaver County) participating in the Mascaro Construction Academy at Beaver County Community College even aimed to address all 17 SDGs. Together, the students designed a modular “Tiny House” that combined green materials and energy efficiency. It not only could help create Sustainable Cities & Communities, Goal #11, but do so while adhering to “Responsible Consumption & Production,” Goal #12, and contributing to other SDGs as well.
The Hampton students looked to personal experiences to identify their playground renovation project, said two young women presenting the team’s poster. Ashley, for example, said the importance of inclusivity resonates with her because she has a brother with a disability, albeit not a physical one. Similarly, a classmate who aspires to become a teacher for special needs students, said the idea of improving accessibility “really hit home for me,” because a little boy she babysits has a physical disability that prevents him from using any of the existing equipment at the playground they’re targeting with their project.
Projects at Highlands stood apart because they all were designed as part of a Spanish language class. Because Covestro was the community partner supporting their work, the company arranged for the students to discuss various aspects of their projects with employees in Mexico as well as with a Spanish-speaking group in Pittsburgh.
As fourth-year Spanish language students, a couple of whom are considering Spanish majors, they were thrilled to learn that native speakers found them fluent, said their teacher Laura Fleischer Proaño. One student who plans a major in international business also felt fortunate for an opportunity at a networking lunch to talk with one of Covestro’s sales and marketing professionals.
With a background in international development focused on sustainability, and a stint as a Peace Corps volunteer before becoming a teacher, Proaño said the idea of the Challenge really appealed to her. Her interest in Project-Based Learning (PBL) also made the Challenge a good fit.
“I really thought it was an excellent opportunity,” she said, adding that she saw the public presentations required for participation as an important learning experience for her class. “Presentation of their ideas is so essential, and it’s something that we often don’t get to do in the classroom. It’s something that can be really meaningful for students and take things to the next level.”
In addition to helping her students, Proaño said the Challenge enabled her to “grow” as an educator. She found herself helping students over dilemmas they encountered and conflicts that arose, without feeling the need to take over; PBL is intended to put students in charge of their learning.
Having taken the Consortium’s PBL training, she said she turned frequently to PBL resources on our website and sometimes even shared them with her students when she thought they might help.
“I’ve really drunk the Kool-Aid—I love the Consortium,” she said.
The Challenge engaged Proaño enough that she submitted an article about it to her district’s newsletter.
“I also told my principal that I’d love to present this to the School Board,” she added. “I’d love to see more of my colleagues participate next year because I just think it’s so, so valuable.”
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Our special thanks go to businesses that sponsored the presentation event, including Covestro LLC, Elliott Group, Koppers, PITT OHIO, PPG Industries, S&B USA eMobility, UPMC, and UPMC Health Plan.
The Consortium also extends its thanks to participating schools as well as the businesses, universities, and community organizations that supported their students.
Supporting them were: 412 Food Rescue, Allegheny Land Trust, Carnegie Mellon University, Chatham University – Eden Hall Campus, Covestro, Dagostino Electronic Services (DES), DMI Companies, Duquesne University, Elliott Group, Koppers, Phipps Conservatory, Pitt-Mascaro Center for Sustainable Innovation, Pitt Pantry, PITT OHIO, PPG Industries, S&B USA eMobility, St. Vincent College, Thriftsburgh, UPMC/UPMC Health Plan, and Urban Design Associates.