Engage...Enact...Inspire - Sustainable Communities Summit

Engage-Enact-Inspire

September 25-26, 2009

High Plains Environmental Center

UNC Centerra, Loveland, Colorado

Making connections between economic, social, ecological, and political realities for sustainable living.

The UNC Center for Honors Scholars and Leadership hosted the first ever Engage-Enact-Inspire Sustainable Communities Summit to teach emerging leaders connections between political, social, economic and ecological realities.

The Summit included

  • Tour of a sustainable development project
  • Friday night dinner and keynote speaker
  • Seminars and Interactive Programs
  • Sustainability Service Project: The critical relocation of sensitive native
    high plains flora from a suburban development site.

The Center for Honors, Scholars and Leadership at the University of Northern Colorado hosted the first annual Sustainable Communities Summit, in partnership with the High Plains Environmental Center. The theme was Connecting Sustainability to Landscapes and was hosted at UNC Centerra, in Loveland Colorado on September 25 and 26, 2009. 

The leadership summit centered around a hands-on critical sustainability project involving the relocation of native flora from an area with impending development to a permanent location set aside for native landscape.  The participants in this year’s pilot program included Honors, Scholars and Leadership students from University of Northern Colorado who involved in a semester long “Honors Connection/Leadership” seminar along with leadership students from Colorado State University and students from Students in Free Enterprise (SIFE), a UNC student organization organized through Monfort College of Business. In future years, the symposium and project will be opened up to students from additional Colorado universities.

Leading up to the native plant relocation project on Saturday, the Honors students learned about environmental, economic, social and political issues surrounding development and environmental sustainability.  Community leaders from several key disciplines involved the students in discussions and role playing activities concerning the difficulties in policy making.

Opportunities

If you would like additional information about this weekend summit or would like to inquire about opportunities for partnering in the future, please contact Mike Kimball, Director for Honors, Scholars and Leadership, michael.kimball@unco.edu, 970-351-2277.

Sustainable Communities Summit Schedule

Friday, September 25

4:00 p.m.         Summit Kick-Off Speaker UNC Centerra, Jay Hardy, Vice President of McWhinney and General Manager of Centerra

5:00 p.m.         Tour of Chapungu Sculpture Park at Centerra

6:30 p.m.         Dinner & Summit keynote speaker-Dave Edwards,
Director of Sprawling from Grace

8:00 p.m.         Film screening of documentary, Sprawling from Grace.

Saturday September 26

9:00 a.m.         Summit Presenters on Sustainable Landscape "Suburbitat"
High Plains Environmental Center representatives Joe Knopinski and Jim Tolstrup.

10:30 a.m.        Interactive Role Playing in Public Deliberation
Noon              Lunch
1:00 p.m.         Native plant rescue service project at Centerra/HPEC
3:30 p.m.         Service Project Completion
4:00 p.m.         Return to University of Northern Colorado

Partners, Sponsors and Contributors

The Center for Honors, Scholars and Leadership would like to thank the following partners, sponsors and contributors to the Sustainable Communities Summit:

  • High Plains Environmental Center
  • SIFE (UNC's Students in Free Enterprise)
  • Colorado State University Warner College of Natural Resources
  • UNC Centerra
  • Embassy Suites
  • Johnny Carinos
  • UNC Facilities Management

High Plains Environmental Center

Information about the High Plains Environmental Center can be found at www.suburbitat.org