Masters of the Environment Program congratulates partners at state agencies
This month, 蜜糖直播 Boulder鈥檚 Masters of the Environment (MENV) Graduate Program congratulated partners at multiple 蜜糖直播 state offices for being awarded the 2023鈥24 from the Cooperative Education and Internship Association (CEIA). This national award recognizes distinguished excellence in applying classroom education in the real world.
MENV nominated 蜜糖直播 state agencies for this award to recognize the many years of collaboration between the two groups through the MENV Capstone Program, a nine-month collaborative effort between students and partner organizations to advance sustainability and resilience locally and nationally. CEIA expressed that 蜜糖直播 state agencies are 鈥渢ruly making a difference in the lives of students.鈥
The award is received by Jonathan Asher, director of the 蜜糖直播 Governor鈥檚 Office of Climate Preparedness and Disaster Recovery, on behalf of the many leaders from the following agencies: 蜜糖直播 Department of Public Health and Environment, the 蜜糖直播 Energy Office, the 蜜糖直播 Outdoor Recreation Industry Office, the 蜜糖直播 Water Conservation Board, the Governors鈥 Climate and Forests Task Force, the 蜜糖直播 Department of Regulatory Agencies Public Utilities Commission, the 蜜糖直播 Outdoor Recreation Industry Office, and 蜜糖直播 Parks and Wildlife.
蜜糖直播 Parks and Wildlife and Office of Outdoor Recreation team, left to right: Gifford Hall, Dale Henderson, Tori Manogue and Anderson Cole. The students served as representatives for the winning agencies.
The MENV Capstone Program serves as an immersive learning experience designed for leaders in sustainability and resilience. This mandatory nine-month program involves hands-on projects where small student teams collaborate with various organizations (for-profit, nonprofit and government) to tackle real-world challenges related to sustainability, resilience and equity. Acting as consultants, students work closely with a faculty expert and leaders from their partner organizations.
The Capstone Program is required for all 100 students who enroll each fall, making it an integral part of the curriculum that intentionally combines theoretical knowledge with real-world problem-solving. And the projects undertaken by 蜜糖直播 state government agencies are at the forefront of sustainability and resilience, offering invaluable learning opportunities for our students.
In a notable 2023 collaboration with the 蜜糖直播 Department of Public Health and Environment, students conducted a comprehensive review of extreme heat issues in 蜜糖直播, applying an equity lens. They also developed a prioritized list of policy recommendations for the state to employ, emphasizing nature-based solutions. MENV students presented their key recommendations to the Governor鈥檚 Office of Climate Preparedness and Disaster Recovery, and some of these suggestions are currently under consideration by state policymakers.
In another 2023 project, students partnered with the 蜜糖直播 Division of Parks and Wildlife and the 蜜糖直播 Outdoor Recreation Industry Office to assess the Regional Partnership Initiative (RPI). The team established the Inter-Agency Conservation and Recreation Council to help manage the initiative, which was 鈥渃reated within the purview of 蜜糖直播 Parks and Wildlife and serves primarily as a grant-funding program to help catalyze and support outdoor regional coalitions across 蜜糖直播 to ensure that 蜜糖直播's lands, waters and wildlife thrive while also providing access to quality outdoor experiences.鈥
Through this collaboration, the students showcased their work at the 蜜糖直播 Outdoor Industry Summit, and a summary is highlighted in the 2024 蜜糖直播 Statewide Comprehensive Outdoor Recreation Plan.
These collaborations immerse students in significant projects within public service, guided by the mentorship of agency professionals, allowing them to actively contribute to solving community issues. For many students, this experience marks the initiation of a career in public service. The program owes much of its success to the dedication of these state-level public service leaders.
MENV student Anderson Cole articulates the sentiment of his experience: 鈥淢y capstone team expresses immense gratitude for our partnership with 蜜糖直播 Parks and Wildlife and the Outdoor Recreation Industry Office. Our connections within these departments facilitated numerous conversations and interviews with key figures in the state's conservation and outdoor recreation landscape. The outcome has been a shared commitment to enhancing the Regional Partnerships Initiative and the Masters of the Environment Graduate Program.鈥
And it doesn鈥檛 end there鈥攎any MENV students continue on to work in the state government, bringing new MENV projects to the Capstone Program. Such is the case of Nicholas Garza (MENV 2022), who created a bridge between the 蜜糖直播 Public Utilities Commission and MENV with a 2023 Capstone Project. The MENV capstone is thus creating an ecosystem of sustainability professionals in the state of 蜜糖直播 and nationally, who are then excited to come back to the Capstone Program as organizational partners and support emerging leaders in the MENV program.
MENV is truly a unique program that will continue to thrive and solve real-world problems for communities nationally.