Environmental Management Certificate Program

Keystone Projects

Keystone projects play an integral role in the Graduate Certificate Program in Environmental Management. Projects span two quarters, Fall (4 credits) and Winter (4 credits) and are conducted in conjunction with the Keystone Projects Course Series (ENVIR 511, ENVIR 512). The projects are proposed by community partners to address their interests and needs. The community partners are active participants on the projects so that students make connections with the community partners and gain the satisfaction of developing solutions to the region’s environmental issues.

We seek transformative experiences, in which students and faculty can actively engage with the community partners and gain the satisfaction of developing solutions to the region’s environmental issues.

Projects are designed annually to address contemporary issues affecting the region. Example topics include:

• regionally significant environmental issues, such as salmon recovery or air quality improvement
• development and commercialization of new technologies, such as alternative energy or advanced materials
• new approaches to sustainable business, life-cycle design and socially responsible investing

Team Organization

Keystone projects are team-based, interdisciplinary group projects that are constructed to embody the four critical elements of the restorative economy: business, research, government, and advocacy.

Real progress toward a sustainable and restorative economy cannot be successful without commitment and participation from each of these critical sectors. Therefore, project teams consist of:

• Three to six Environmental Management students
• A UW Faculty Mentor who provides guidance and expertise and contribute substantively to the projects
• Community partners from business, government, and private sector, who provide problem statement, collaboration, and other project support

All students are expected to contribute proportionally to the project, based on project roles and expectations developed in collaboration among the team members and the faculty mentor.

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Current Keystone Projects

Communicating Science During Environmental Disasters

NOAA scientists play a crucial role in developing information necessary for selecting among
mitigation options during environmental disasters such as major oil spills. The public has
a strong interest in understanding the rationale for, as well as the scientific basis of
these decisions. The issue is made more difficult by the need to balance the complexity
of the science with the public's expectation of instantaneous delivery via new media
applications.

The keystone project team will develop a project plan and schedule for evaluating the
issues, investigating new media techniques, and recommending approaches to improve
science communication. The project deliverable will be a report that outlines findings
and evaluates alternatives for specific approaches to improve risk communication. A
component of the report should include examples of applications of new media tools to
communicate information to the public.

 

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Managing UW’s Sustainability Performance

UW was recently named America's "coolest" school by the Sierra Club's ranking of the greenest
colleges in the US. Students will work with the UW's Environmental Stewardship and
Sustainability office to evaluate a leading campus sustainability reporting framework
and investigate best practices for collecting and sharing UW's sustainability-related
information. Project deliverables include:

• Management report of STARS (the reporting framework in question)
• Successful audit of STARS using UW's existing sustainability data
• Successful GAP analysis report
• Documenting STARS reporting process for ESS staff and content owners

 

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The Puget Sound Foodshed Study

The Puget Sound Foodshed Study will use proven methods to identify the food that is produced
in the region, the food that is consumed in the region, and the pathways between local
producers and consumers. The intent of the study is to inform policy discussions about
the potential to redevelop a local food system by reconnecting local farmers to local
consumers. The study will culminate in recommendations on how to rebuild these
connections.

The goals of the project are to:
• Understand the potential of Puget Sound farms to feed the region.
• Determine which foods in local diets could be locally produced, and which cannot.
• Identify the existing pathways that bring local food to local markets.
• Identify potential pathways between local producers and consumers.
• Distribute information, findings and recommendations broadly within the region.

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Communications Plan for UW's Climate Strategies

UW is a leader in environmental stewardship and sustainability and completed its Climate
Action Plan (CAP) and is developing supporting policies which should be ready for
campus vetting and communication in late 2011.

The keystone team will create a communication plan for Climate Action Plan policies
and encouraging reduction of carbon emissions attributable to UW operations,
students, faculty and staff. Project deliverables include:

• Finalized CAP Communication Plan
• Project plan including prioritized activities and timeline
• Toolkits, electronic and print media/content, social networking sites/presence
• Summarized reports from surveys, feedback loops, final report, including
effectiveness of chosen communication strategies, and impacts (financial, health,
etc.) of carbon-reducing behavior change

Past Projects