RCE Greater Atlanta, a regional multi-stakeholder network affiliated with the United Nations University (UNU) and designed to bring the UN’s Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs) to local communities, is proud to announce that it received two global awards from the UNU, and an honorable mention, as part of the 2023 RCE Awards for Innovative Projects on Education for Sustainable Development (ESD).

RCE Greater Atlanta has received the following awards, which celebrate projects and programs on Education for Sustainable Development within the United Nations University Global RCE Network.

Projects completed in 2023 by the RCE Greater Atlanta won two awards from the global RCE Network in the category, “Acknowledged Flagship Project,” with one award being given to the SDG Futures Fellowship, a year-long fellowship…

Georgia Tech Center for Sustainable Communities Research and Education (SCoRE) senior director, Jennifer Hirsch, presented a paper to a recent National Academies of Sciences, Engineering, and Medicine workshop, Developing and Assessing Ideas for Social and Behavioral Research to Speed Efficient and Equitable Industrial Decarbonization. 

The two-day workshop was organized by the National Academies’ divisions of Behavioral and Social Sciences and Education and Engineering and Physical Sciences and the Boards on Environmental Change and Society and Energy and Environmental Systems. The workshop sought to “lay the foundation for a national interdisciplinary social sciences research program to support an efficient and equitable clean energy transition in the industrial sector.” Sponsors included the Alfred P. Sloan Foundation, the Environmental Protection Agency, the U.S. Department of Energy, and the National Science…

This two-day hybrid workshop will develop, synthesize, and assess ideas for a national interdisciplinary social sciences and behavioral research program to support an efficient and equitable clean energy transition in the industrial sector. The session on Monday from 1:30-2:30 – The Crucial Role of Just Process for Equitable Industrial Decarbonization: A Social Science Research Agenda – will center on a paper on this topic commissioned by NASEM, co-authored by Jennifer Hirsch from Georgia Tech with five other authors from around the country. Jennifer will present on the paper for 15 minutes at the beginning of the session. This paper, along with three others commissioned for this workshop, can be found on the …

SCoRE is excited to share a themed volume of Gateways: International Journal of Community Research and Engagement, just published, for which SCoRE Senior Director Jenny Hirsch is a guest editor and co-author on the Introduction, and Associate Director Ruthie Yow is an article author. The volume focuses on scholars and practitioners working at the intersection of community-based research and asset-based community development. In the editors' introduction, co-written by Jenny Hirsch, Margaret Malone (University of Technology Sydney), and Mark Chupp (Case Western Reserve University), the authors focus on the five key themes that thread through the featured…

The Building for Equity and Sustainability VIP is seeking new members and you could be one of them! We are currently working on a project in partnership with the West Atlanta Watershed Alliance to construct an outdoor classroom and aid in placekeeping, a practice aiming to maintain the social fabric of the area, in the West End. The team is broken into two sub-teams, with the outdoor classroom project currently in the second stage of design, with current iterations awaiting review by WAWA Staff before we make final edits to the designs before we begin the construction process. Our work aims to have Afro-Futurist design elements incorporated into the structure and overall outdoor space of the Outdoor…

RCE Greater Atlanta recently published an article recapping the 12th Annual RCE Americas Meeting held in Atlanta, September 27th - 29th.

In the realm of sustainability, action emerges from the rich tapestry of discourse, weaving together diverse perspectives and experiences. The 2023 RCE Americas Meeting stood as a vibrant forum, where individuals gathered from all around the Americas to exchange views, share ideas, and delve into the discourse of sustainability. The participation of working professionals, academics, and students created a productive dialogue among the many panels, presentations, and workshops held over the three-day meeting. Each cohort was able to contribute a unique perspective on how sustainability plays a role in their own work, creating an environment where mutual learning fostered collective growth amongst attendees.

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As the Center for Sustainable Communities Research and Education (SCoRE) prepares to host Professor Juan Lucena for our Liam's Legacy 2023 Symposium: Humanitarian Engineering with Juan Lucena on Thursday, October 5th, we wanted to highlight our three Community Engaged Technology student fellows.  These students have been integral in the development and planning of this event.  We hope you can join us!

Who are the Community Engaged Technology Fellows?

My name is Sophia Ebbutt and I am a fourth-year Environmental Engineering student at Georgia Tech. I am passionate about creating sustainable and resilient water infrastructure. The CET Fellowship at SCoRE aligns with my interest in engineering for social good and has allowed me to develop my interest and learn more about how I can apply it impactfully. It has also been an excellent opportunity to…

A recent article published by the Ray C. Anderson Center for Sustainable Business highlights Garry Harris, founder and managing director of Center for Sustainable Communities, a signature partner of Serve-Learn-Sustain and the Center for Sustainable Communities Research and Education (SCoRE).  

In high school, Garry Harris (MSEEM ’22) earned the nickname, “Do It All Harris,” by competing in six track and field events, as opposed to one (which is typical). Garry’s life and career have been marked by an ability to move seamlessly across multiple interests. He has combined his passions for energy, sustainability, and community in order to pursue the humble goal he set out to achieve as an entrepreneur – “to save the world.” Garry is committed to pursuing global sustainable development as founder and managing director of the Center for Sustainable Communities (CSC), and president and CEO of the…

The application for the second cohort of the SDG Futures Fellowship, a program launched last year by RCE Greater Atlanta, has opened. Co-led by staff and students from Georgia Tech and Kennesaw State, the program will run from October 2023 - April 2024.  The fellowship will have both in-person and virtual events over the course of the program, and feature project partnership and engagement with RCE Greater Atlanta community partners.

WHO CAN APPLY?

Any Youth (18-29) from any of the 11 RCE GA Affiliated HEIs interested in Sustainable/Professional Development are invited to apply. Our goal is to select 1 - 2 fellows from each HEI. Young professionals interested in transitioning to sustainability careers may also apply to the SDG Futures Fellowship.

PROGRAM GOALS

1. Educate students about the UN SDGs through a justice and equity lens 

2. Expose students to SDG-related problems and solutions both…

Ridoine Idrissou is an undergraduate Computer Science student who participated in the SLS Sustainable Communities Summer 2023 internship program as an intern for the Center for Sustainable Communities.  This text was originally published in his Linked In feed and can be found here.

Over the past few months, I've had the honor of being part of something truly impactful. As a JUST Science Scholar and Intern at the Center for Sustainable Communities (CSC), a nonprofit dedicated to merging STEM with social justice, I've been on an exhilarating ride of innovation and purpose.

I proudly worked on not one, but two major projects that left me inspired and empowered. Crafting a dynamic newsletter for CSC and contributing to the inception of the National Environmental Justice Institute were…

Dr. Brigitte Stepanov is a war researcher and Assistant Professor of Francophone Studies. She is the founder and director of the Energy Today Lab, an interdisciplinary research hub that reflects creatively and analytically on the energy - broadly defined from labor to thermodynamics - of our contemporary world.

Dr. Brigitte Stepanov and the students in her Spring 2023 "French and Francophone Media and Film" course (FREN 4246/8803) recently established a community library on campus in the Swann Building.  With a grant from SLS, they were able to purchase used…

As fall semester inches closer, we wanted to highlight a couple of ongoing, exciting opportunities, as well as one brand new course for your consideration during Phase II registration!

The Sustainable Cities Minor

If you are contemplating a minor, take a close gander at the SLS-affiliated Sustainable Cities Minor! The minor in Sustainable Cities emphasizes sustainability, community engagement, and social justice. It provides students with a deep learning experience that integrates classroom learning and real-world, community-based project experience in creating sustainable communities, with a focus on the built urban environment. You can learn more about the minor, and all the details on how to integrate into your present course of study, by visiting SCARP…

Makaela Burch is a Masters student in City and Regional Planning at Georgia Tech. She participated in SLS' Sustainable Communities Summer Internship program this summer, as an intern for both SLS and Office of the Vice President for Interdisciplinary Research.

From June 5th-11th, I was able to attend the Southeast Environmental Justice Summit in Atlanta, Georgia. The Summit was organized by Harambee House, an environmental justice organization based in Savannah, Georgia.  On the first day of the Summit, I had the chance to go on an environmental justice tour of Atlanta, organized by Dr. Erica Hollman, of the West Atlanta Watershed Alliance. Along with Dr. Hollman, and other community organizers, we visited three sites across West Atlanta, and learned about the environmental justice efforts that were being tackled by local organizations. The most impactful site for me personally was the Chattahoochee Brick Company, located in west Atlanta, led by Donna…

Monique Terrell is a Masters student in Public Health at the Morehouse School of Medicine.  Monique is currently serving as an intern for A Sip of Paradise Garden through SLS' Sustainable Communities Summer Internship Program.  

The Environmental Justice Summit hosted by Harambe House at the Grand Hyatt in Buckhead was an engaging and exhilarating conference. Being a part of conversations with the prominent stakeholders, organizations, nonprofits, and energy corporations who prioritize the environmental justice movement was an experience I will remember for years to come.

During the conference, I observed conversations concerning protecting the environment, organizations emphasizing the importance of safety and sustainability of all, and even discussions regarding Historically Black Colleges and Universities (HBCUs) and their significance to communities countrywide. Tours were available that highlighted past and…

During the second week of June, I had the opportunity of attending the Southeast Environmental Justice Summit held at the Grand Hyatt Buckhead. On the first day of the event, I participated in the Atlanta Justice40RWARD Environmental Justice tour, which included visits to significant locations, such as the Chattahoochee Brick Company site, Lindsay Street Park, and Project South. However, it was during our second stop at Lindsay Street Park that I had one of my most significant takeaways.

This park holds a special distinction as the first in the community created through the Conservation Fund's Parks and Purpose Program. The program aims to establish greenspaces that prioritize the safety of children while simultaneously addressing multiple challenges. These challenges include promoting access to healthy foods, creating employment opportunities for residents, and reducing the impacts of stormwater flooding through the…

Amani Allen-Beale is an Environmental Science major at Georgia Gwinnett College.  Amani was part of the inaugural SDG Futures Fellows cohort in 2022-2023, run by RCE Greater Atlanta.  Amani is currently participating in SLS' Sustainable Communities Summer Internship Program as an intern for RCE Greater Atlanta.  

Stepping onto the property of Southview Cemetery felt like stepping into a Black history time portal. If you haven’t heard of Southview, here’s a bit of background. Southview Cemetery is a Black owned cemetery that was started in February of 1886. During this time, Black Americans were not allowed to be buried near or next to white people or host their own funeral services. Southview was created by nine Black men whose descendants such as Winifred Hemphill now head the cemetery.

Initially, I didn’t…

As a current intern with Serve-Learn-Sustain and the West Atlanta Watershed Alliance (WAWA), I’ve been given many opportunities to learn about equity and how our work should encompass that as we address sustainability. Because of this, I was given the opportunity to attend the micro-session titled “Challengers | Healers | Creators” hosted by AYA Institute at Trees Atlanta for the Thrive Outside monthly meeting on May 19th. This was just a taste of what it takes to tackle oppression, but it truly opened my eyes on how to address the intersectionality of oppression as both an oppressor and a member of an oppressed population.

The session began with a general overview of what this lesson could provide for us, delving into why we wanted to be there and what we could offer each other in the four hours we spent together. The conversation then transitioned into rethinking the ways we deal with oppression currently which induced a lot of…

From 2019 to 2021, SLS interns aided in the creation of the Coffee County Memory Project’s award-winning oral history documentary project focusing on the desegregation of the schools of Coffee County, Georgia.

Kara Vaughn Adams ’21, Brice Minix ’22, Nabil Patel ’22, Bennett Bush ’23, and Samina Patel ’24 conducted and transcribed oral history interviews, gathered material by searching through back issues of local newspapers, digitized artifacts, implemented graphic designs, and worked to configure and upload digital material used in the project’s exhibitions.

All were graduates of Coffee High School. As they worked on the project, they learned the history of their school and community. Their reactions to this information aided project…

On Friday, May 19, I attended the Challenger-Healer-Creator (CHC) workshop with some fellow SLS interns. The workshop was held at Trees Atlanta, a nonprofit working to improve Atlanta’s urban forest through conservation and education initiatives, and was led by Afiya and Wekesa Madzimoyo, two storytellers and experts in facilitating authentic communication. This workshop gave some really interesting perspectives and ideas on oppression, especially about the language we use. For the Challenging Oppression section of CHC, Wekesa offered the term injected oppression instead of internalized oppression. Injected oppression provides less blame on the oppressed individual, making them the object, rather than the subject, and insinuating it is another actor who is injecting that oppression. Wekesa mentioned also that this way of thinking gives more room to heal from the wounds of injected oppression.

Another idea presented in the…

The Vice President for Interdisciplinary Research (VPIR) and the Office of Undergraduate Education (OUE) are excited to announce an institutionalization plan for Serve-Learn-Sustain (SLS) that will advance two of Georgia Tech’s Institute Strategic Plan (ISP) initiatives - Sustainability Next and Transformative Teaching and Learning (TTL) - and strengthen our service learning, community engagement, and sustainability ecosystems at Georgia Tech.…