Environmental Management Certificate Program
Keystone Projects
Keystone projects play an integral role in the Graduate Certificate Program in Environmental Management. Projects span two quarters, Winter (4 credits) and Spring (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 a transformative experience, in which students and faculty actively engage in designing the ingredients for what Paul Hawken calls the "restorative economy": closed-loop industrial systems, zero waste, viable ecosystems, and sustainable energy sources.
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, such as the Natural Step, life-cycle design and accounting, and socially responsible investing.
Team Organization
Keystone projects are team-based, interdisciplinary group projects that extend across two academic quarters that are constructed to mirror a model of the restorative economy that embodies four critical elements:
- Business and private sector
- Academic and research
- Local government
- Non-profit 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.
Keystone Projects for 2009-2010
Keystone Projects for 2008-2009
- Developing Innovative Solutions for Short Haul Trucking in the Puget Sound Corridor
Community Partners: Port of Tacoma, Port of Seattle and Washington State Department of Transportation
- Bellevue Greenhouse Gas Emissions Community Action Plan
Community Partner: City of Bellevue
Keystone Projects for 2007-2008
- Zoo Footprints: Environmental Sustainability Analysis and Planning for Woodland Park Zoo
Community Partner: Woodland Park Zoo Society, Mithun
- Evaluating Approaches for Determining Compatible Uses that Foster Ecosystem-Based Management in the Olympic Coast National Marine Sanctuary
Community Partner: National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration (NOAA)
- Assessment of Alternative and Traditional Shoreline Designs for Lake Washington
Community Partner: Port of Tacoma
- Salmon Recovery Strategic Adaptive Management Plan: Water Resource Inventory Area (WRIA) 6
Community Partner: National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration (NOAA), Restoration Center
For a full description of the 2007-2008 projects, please see: 2007-2008 Project summaries.
Keystone Projects for 2006-2007
- Development of an Outreach and Integration Plan for NOAA’s Fish Friendly Shoreline
Community Partner: National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration (NOAA) http://courses.washington.edu/emksp06/NOAAFishFriendlySL/index.shtml
- Climate Protection Plan
Community Partner: City of Seattle
http://courses.washington.edu/emksp06/uwclimate/index.html
- Environmental Management Program/System Value Assessment
Community Partner: Port of Tacoma
http://courses.washington.edu/emksp06/emports/index.htm
- Food System Enhancement
Community Partner: City of Seattle http://courses.washington.edu/emksp06/SeattleFoodSystem/Index.shtm