Community and Collaboration

Through community-engaged courses, a community-based internship program, faculty research, and collaborative events, we are dedicated to work that lies at the nexus of student learning, faculty expertise, and community impact

Through community-engaged courses, a community internship program, faculty research, and collaborative events, we are dedicated to work that lies at the nexus of student learning, faculty expertise, and community impact. Community engagement is one important strategy we use to bring its values of interdisciplinarity, experiential learning, collaboration, community-building, and anti-racism to life. We see our community partners as co-educators of our students, who can provide a invaluable opportunities to understand complex and nuanced perspectives, professional expertise, and real world factors that influence environmental challenges. We are always seeking out opportunities to support and deepen the environmental work of those local, regional and global partners. 

Environmental Studies understands that our students don’t only want to learn about environmental issues in class. They also want to apply their knowledge & skills on the ground, and make a positive impact in our community. Our students can do this through our community-engaged capstone courses and paid Impact Internships. Our Impact Internships embed students within St. Louis organizations, engaging with the environmental issues that impact people’s lives every day. To become an Impact Intern, students may apply to available internships with Environmental Studies’ existing partner organizations or seek environmental internships in the St. Louis region of their own choosing.

Campus Collaborations

Here are some of our closest collaborators across campus

Office of Sustainability

The Office of Sustainability offers opportunities for students, faculty, and staff to get involved in sustainability initiatives. Explore their eight strategic plan focus areas to learn more about their progress, vision, and commitment to sustainable operations.

Learn more about Office of Sustainability

Center for Environment

The Center for the Environment is an interdisciplinary hub of environmental research that accelerates research across environmental solutions, biodiversity, environmental justice, and planetary health with earth systems and climate change as a cross-cutting driver. The Center fosters a diverse community of faculty, staff, researchers and students with shared interests in environment and sustainability. It's work amplifies transformative partnerships throughout Washington University and beyond. The Center a supports interdisciplinary and emerging educational initiatives and postdoctoral research.

Learn more about Center for Environment

Tyson Research Center

Tyson Research Center provides opportunities for environmental research and education for students and faculty from Washington University and beyond. Their infrastructure and programs facilitate multi-scale research and teaching opportunities and collaboration across disciplines, institutions, and levels of academic training.

Learn more about Tyson Research Center

Living Earth Collaborative

The Living Earth Collaborative is a center for biodiversity that brings together three world-class organizations: Washington University, Missouri Botanical Gardens, and the Saint Louis Zoo. The collaborative transcends geographic and political boundaries to conserve biodiversity and sustain life on Earth. Environmental Studies faculty and students play key roles in a variety of Living Earth Collaborative activities, and the program encourages students to consider working with the collaborative through internships and research opportunities.

Learn more about Living Earth Collaborative

Midwest Climate Collaborative

The Midwest Climate Collaborative envisions a carbon neutral, climate resilient, interconnected Midwest region. It's goal is to facilitate the development of a coherent Midwestern response to the climate crisis through acceleration of climate action, knowledge generation, and leader development led by a cross-sector collaboration of key organizations throughout the Midwest.

Learn more about the Midwest Climate Collaborative

Sustainability Exchange Community Partners

City of Maplewood

Students are exploring sustainable solutions to improve public infrastructure, reduce energy consumption, and enhance safety in residential neighborhoods. Given the city’s commitment to environmental responsibility and cost-effective energy use, this feasibility study examines the potential for installing off-grid solar lighting in residential areas.

City of Ferguson

The project is a comprehensive sustainability initiative focused on enhancing the efficiency and performance of Ferguson's municipal buildings and operations while revitalizing the community and infrastructure of West Florissant Avenue. Once a thriving thoroughfare, West Florissant Avenue has seen a significant decline in business and community vibrancy since the tragic events surrounding Michael Brown’s death and the subsequent civil unrest. This initiative aims to drive positive change within Ferguson, with a strong emphasis on restoring West Florissant Avenue to its former vitality and fostering a renewed sense of community and economic growth.

Dutchtown South Community Corporation (DSCC)

For this project, students will geotag dumpster locations using the Arc GIS Field Map mobile app in the DSCC service neighborhoods. Students will also analyze waste service requests, waste service schedules and routes, and vacancy data to understand waste disparities. Students will also explore sustainable solutions to alleyway issues, such as the adoption of green alleys as potential solutions to illegal dumping. The ultimate goal of the project is to provide DSCC with the best available data on waste services in the four neighborhoods and information on possible remedies for improving alleyways in neighborhoods that have experienced historic and ongoing disinvestment.

Capstone Courses

Our capstone courses are a special feature of our programming. They integrate diverse disciplinary knowledge into a cohesive framework and offer students the chance to engage in collaborative, project-based learning on real world problems. By emphasizing integration across disciplines, students gain a holistic understanding that prepares them for real-world challenges. These courses also emphasize learning how to learn, equipping students with lifelong skills for continuous personal and professional growth. Moreover, capstones facilitate the application of foundational knowledge to practical situations, ensuring that theoretical learning translates into practical outcomes. Additionally, capstones incorporate a human dimension, fostering empathy and ethical considerations in problem-solving.

Learn more about our capstone courses

Partner with Us

Environmental Studies hosts a Community Engagement Manager as a resource to support faculty, staff, students, and community partners in collaborative, community-engaged environmental work. The Community Engagement Manager can help you:

  • Think through how to structure a new or existing community-engaged course
  • Apply for funding to develop a course or project
  • Connect with partners on and off campus with complementary interests
  • Figure out if and how your organization can work with WashU Environmental Programs

For more information, please contact Jeff Catalano.

Students

Faculty

Organizations or Individuals Outside WashU