Suraj Sehgal is a 3rd year Industrial Engineering undergraduate student.

What is sustainability?

What makes up a sustainable community?

How should one properly engage with a community?

These are just some of the questions that we explored in the Sustainable Community Principles Class offered through the Center for Serve-Learn-Sustain during the Spring 2016 semester. In this course, we were able to dive deep into various theories on sustainability as well as take a look at real life incidents that highlight the benefits that arise when undergoing a participatory research design, as well as the dangers of failing to engage the community.

Led by an amazing team of instructors from a variety of fields including Interactive Computing, College of Architecture, and Public Policy, this class was a unique opportunity to uncover the multiple facets inherent in the complex topic of sustainability. It pushed you to expand your understanding of the issue beyond the economics, looking at importance of incorporating social justice and community voice in order to truly implement lasting change.

This is a class that students of all years, across disciplines should seriously consider taking. It is an opportunity to shape one’s worldview and learn important skills that can be essential not only in the way that we do research or a job, but the way that we approach our lives. 

See a current listing of SLS Core and Affiliated Courses for Fall 2016/Spring 2017 here.