A Need to Rebuild as an Opportunity to
Advance the Pursuit of Sustainable Development

education to advance sustainable development

This is an immediate, real-world challenge: modules are service learning - students learn while helping meet a real need.

  • A module embedded in each of the others as appropriate addresses computer usage to promote effective online collaborative learning.  
  • A history module provides context, identifying a selection of episodes from the past when a need to rebuild was seized on as an opportunity - or not. Consider Germany after 1945.

Some basic tools-oriented, building block modules:

  • The Policy Process. formulate, analyze, select, implementat, adaptat
  • Uncertainty and Risk. decision-making in the context of incomplete, conflicting data (process data critically, seek alternative perspectives, synthesize, recognize / formulate priorities, identify key points)
  • Teamwork in Developing Project Proposals. building teams, formulating objectives, working together effectively, getting good results.
  • Funding Projects. researching alternative funding sources, developing targeted proposals, relationship management.

Some math / science modules with policy relevance:  Probability, Constrained Optimization, Principle of Least Action, Modelling, Chemical Kinetics, Air Pollution, Global Warming, Weather and Earth Science.

A capstone module integrating different aspects of regional development
such as energy usage, transportation, pollution.


Modules build on an annotated collection of resources: reading list, internet links, contacts. Participants evolve  future offerings (logistics, research).

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