Service Learning and Campus Operations: Student Projects to Integrate Food, Food Waste and Energy

Production at Clarkson University

Susan E. Powers, PhD, PEClarkson University

Potsdam NY

Trans-disciplinaryDivergent Thinking

Local / Global Perspecti ves

SYSTEMS THINKING

CreativityProblem

solving

Relevant, engaging

Real-world,

ill-defined problems

Questioning

Service

Sustainability Strategic Plan• Clarkson students graduate with an understanding of the

concepts of sustainability and the skills to shape a sustainable future– By 2015, X% of students engage in community service for XX hours per

year as volunteers or through service learning projects in classes

• Opportunities that students have to engage in sustainability experiences through student life and co-curricular activities are pervasive– By FY2014, at least XX clubs or organizations include campus or

community service as part of their activities

• The campus and the community are used for effective experiential learning and research to enable students to contribute to the planning and implementation of projects to create a more sustainable campus– Identify and support current and create X new on-campus and off-

campus experiential learning sites– Expand the Sustainability fund to support at least 10 projects per year

Furthering the Concept: Experiential Learning Sites

• Anaerobic Digester• Zero emission snowmobile• Algae Biodiesel• Entrepreneur Coffee

• Engineers without Borders• Devil’s Thumb Ranch• Beacon Institute• Adirondack Semester

Campus Greenhouse/Digester Project Provides Local Food and Research

on Veggie Production in Cold Climates

Sustainability Projects for Enhanced Education

STEP 1: Vision for Year-round Sustainable Food in Cold Climates

• Controlled environment• Continuous production• Low land footprint• Local production• Technical Innovations– Aeroponic growth– LED lighting– Passive solar design w/

renewable energy inputs– Sensors and controls– Materials and energy

recycling (Summer 2008)

STEP 2: Laboratory Testing and Feasibility Assessment

(AY2010)

(April 2010)

Lisa JacksonHead Administrator

of EPA

(April 2010)

(October 2010)

Step 3: Pilot Facility - Integrated System

(January 2011)

(March 2011)

(March 2011)

(March 2011)

(May 2011)

(September 2011)

February 2012

Summer 2012

Anaerobic digester650 lb food waste/dayTransformed into biogas then electric and heat energy

Clarkson University Commitment: –Opportunities for real-world engineering and business

development and entrepreneurial experiences• Graduate and Undergraduate Research• Capstone classes• SPEED program• Shipley Center for Innovation / Reh Center for Entrepreneurship

–Utilize campus infrastructure as experiential learning sites to promote sustainability education–Challenges: • Who is leader?

– Faculty / Student / Staff

• Continuity• Funding

– Campus Sustainability Fund – External agencies – Philanthropic Donations

Making it Happen

Key Points• Enabling student ideas and educating through

real-world projects is fun and rewarding as an educator

• Increasing our “Experiential Learning Sites” will – help to increase our campus sustainability AND – provide essential education opportunities for 21st

Century skills• Lots of Ways for students to

get involved in our campus sustainability activities

“STEACHER”

Thank You!

• www.clarkson.edu/green

• www.clarkson.edu/projects/cehrf

• http://planetforward.org/idea/year-round-greenhouse-gardening/

Contact:Susan PowersJean ‘79 and Robert ’79 Spence Professor

in Sustainable Environmental SystemsInstitute for a Sustainable Environmentsep@clarkson.edu