The Oread Project was established in 2013 to help faculty from across campus redesign an existing course – or create a new course – to incorporate sustainability content. Participants in the program attend a 2-day workshop, as well as follow-up meetings in the fall and spring semester. Through this process, participants:
- Redesign an existing course or develop a new course that meets the University’s definition for sustainability-focused or sustainability-related courses
- Develop course content that meets the needs of students in their respective departments while addressing the core values of sustainability as defined in the vision for the Campus Sustainability Plan: “protecting our natural ecosystems, creating economic prosperity, and treating all people with equality and respect”
- Integrate “flipped learning” content as a means of engaging students more deeply in class materials, and as an effective way to teach and learn about sustainability
- Consider designing the course around one or more elements of the Campus Sustainability Plan
- Incorporate opportunities for engaged learning, especially as related to the sustainability plan
Participants who complete the program and submit their revised syllabus will receive a stipend that can be used for any academic purpose, including professional development, conference travel, and the purchase of books and other class materials.
The Oread Project is modeled after similar programs on other university campuses including the Ponderosa Project at Northern Arizona University and the Piedmont Project at Emory University.
In 2017, the Oread Project evolved into a regional workshop open to faculty from any institution, in partnership with Johnson County Community College. For information about the 2018 workshop, which will be held on August 9 & 10, visit: https://sustain.ku.edu/curriculum-center.
