Clients: Educational Institutions

Sustainable Food Strategy Task Force

Photos courtesy of Stacey Evans (left) and Nina Morris (right). The IEN is working with the Sustainable Food Strategy task force to implement the University of Virginia's Sustainability Plan (2016-2020) goals relating to food. Now entering its second year of work, the task force is chaired by Andrea Trimble, Sustainability Director, and facilitated by Tanya Denckla Cobb, Director of IEN, and includes a broad array of representatives concerned and interested in food and its impacts:... Continue reading →

Categorized as: Current, Consensus Building, Dialogue, Health & Food, Educational Institutions,

The Resilience & Adaptation Feasibility Tool (The RAFT)

Local coastal governments face daunting challenges related to sea level rise. Current and projected conditions affect residents, businesses, and key national security facilities, as well as public health, infrastructure and economic development. IEN is partnering with the William & Mary Virginia Coastal Policy Center and Old Dominion University to initiate a multi-university, inter-disciplinary academic partnership to create an assessment and response decision... Continue reading →

Categorized as: Current, Dialogue, Land, People & Communities, Water, Educational Institutions,

Memorial to Enslaved Laborers

At the September 2016 meeting of the Board of Visitors, the design team of Höweler + Yoon, Mabel Wilson, Gregg Bleam and Associates, and IEN's Frank Dukes was approved to design the Memorial for Enslaved Workers at the University of Virginia. The design of a new memorial marks a critical moment to address the complex history of the University and of the country, and affirms UVA’s role as a leader in the national conversation about race, history and institutions. As a World Heritage Site and a cherished American landmark, UVA’s grounds require an... Continue reading →

Categorized as: Current, Dialogue, Public Participation, People & Communities, Educational Institutions,

2015-2016 Strategic Planning

IEN was asked to design and facilitate five strategic planning efforts in 2015-2016. We designed and facilitated meetings for the Albemarle Solid Waste Authority to enable its advisory committee to consider a range of options and reach consensus recommendations for the fate of the Ivy Landfill Transfer Station, for consideration by the Board of Supervisors. We designed and facilitated meetings for the U.Va. Sustainability Office to bring its staff together... Continue reading →

Categorized as: 2010s, Strategic Planning, Land, People & Communities, Water, Educational Institutions,Local Government,Nonprofit Organizations,

Campbell County Route 29 Corridor Planning Effort

The Virginia Transportation Research Council (VTRC), located at U.Va., initiated a pilot project with Campbell County to test a Federal Highways collaborative planning framework, known as PlanWorks. The project's focus is a busy 6.6-mile stretch of Route 29 on the south side of Lynchburg, beginning at the southern city limit and extending to Colonial Highway (Route 24). This stretch of highway hosts multiple mixed uses and needs for residential, business, and large institutional access. IEN is... Continue reading →

Categorized as: 2010s, Dialogue, Public Participation, Land, People & Communities, Educational Institutions,State Government,

Frostburg State University: Sustaining Campus and Community

(2012 - 2014) Frostburg State University’s “Sustaining Campus and Community” dialogue series began its second year in the spring of 2012. The goal of these sessions it to help the community of Frostburg, Maryland strengthen neighborhood relationships and foster a nonviolent, civil culture. The dialogue sessions convene students, year-round residents, local officials, and University leaders to discuss issues and create new opportunities for collaborative problem-solving and coalition-building in Frostburg. Dr. Frank Dukes of the IEN, Dr. Marvin Johnson, founder and executive director of the... Continue reading →

Categorized as: 2010s, Consensus Building, Dialogue, People & Communities, Educational Institutions,

Community Decisions for Watershed Planning

(2007 - 2011) Watershed nutrient imbalances pose risks to water quality. Improved decision aids and processes could reduce costs of achieving water quality protection goals by aiding watershed stakeholders in evaluating nutrient management strategies. The proposed project integrated research, extension, and education missions to develop and test a group decision aid, Community DECISIONS, with which watershed stakeholders can rank strategies to address imbalances of nutrient imports and exports. Project objectives were to: 1) develop the Community DECISIONS group decision aid; 2) apply and... Continue reading →

Categorized as: 2010s, Research, Public Participation, Water, Land, Educational Institutions,

Curriculum Facilitation

(2011) IEN designed and facilitated a curriculum workshop at Virginia Tech. We worked with the co-Program Directors to develop an agenda that will address participant issues, and developing a synthesis of the workshop results and follow-up actions. The first workshop will identified key learning objectives, ways to enhance student outcomes, and resources needed and available. The second workshop gave give these concepts “legs” by translating them into a functional, skeletal curriculum.

Categorized as: 2010s, Strategic Planning, People & Communities, Educational Institutions,

Virginia Farm-to-Table Plan: Food Listening Sessions

Information coming soon.

Categorized as: 2010s, Public Participation, Health & Food, Educational Institutions,

Health Impacts Assessment: Poultry Litter to Energy Facility

(2012) A new project was proposed in the Shenandoah Valley to build a facility north of Harrisonburg that would convert poultry litter to energy. As part of the preliminary ground work to gather information on possible health impacts of the project, the VCU Center on Human Needs was asked in 2012 to conduct a Health Impact Assessment Analysis (HIA) of this proposed project to engage community members in gathering information as part of the Health Impact Assessment. The IEN was contracted, with facilitation assistance from Dialogue + Design Associates, to facilitate the stakeholder... Continue reading →