At times, sustainability moves beyond the borders of the UW-Milwaukee campus. Whether it be student pathways or literally the roads that bring you to campus, sustainability is part of the rich community connections that UWM is known for.
Learn. Earn. Grow.
In recent years Harold S. Vincent High School has brought back its focus on agricultural sciences. Through a Healthier Wisconsin Partnership Program grant-funded project, the Office of Sustainability worked with the Institute for Urban Agriculture & Nutrition and Elyve Organics, an entrepreneurial composting venture, to examine the potential for a closed loop composting operation at the high school.
This proved to be just the beginning to the engagement with Vincent High School. The work continued to build capacity, through a UWM Social Compact grant that supported the “Learn.Earn.Grow.” (L.E.G.) program in 2017. L.E.G. interrelates access to experiential learning, healthy foods, and a youth development and mentorship program for Milwaukee teens. This project interweaves a new partner, Cream City Conservation Corps. CCCC provides youth development, mentorship, and experiential learning and earning in summer conservation programs. The L.E.G. program uses the CCCC model to introduce high school students to higher education through summer urban agriculture jobs. L.E.G. delivered a 6-week cross-campus program, enhancing each facility’s urban food production with farming and composting activities. The program also expanded to Washington High School students who were able to garden at the Mary Ryan Boys & Girls Club of Greater Milwaukee. Vincent and Washington students paired with Crew Leaders (UWM & MATC students) who provided sustainable food-based experiential education to build Milwaukee youth’s readiness to join the growing green jobs marketplace.
Today, the program continues to support new cohorts of students, building upon the interrelationship of MPS, MATC and UWM. Explore the L.E.G. program further!
Path to Platinum- Uniting Milwaukee One Bike at a Time
The Path to Platinum is a broad-based effort made up of stakeholders throughout the Milwaukee area committed to building an active and engaged community. UWM’s Office of Sustainability has been a founding and committed community member in this effort. UWM’s transportation needs are not bound by the campus borders. UWM’s presence is needed throughout the city, to meet the needs of its students, faculty, and staff. The Path to Platinum is one of the means to represent the university in city planning efforts, as well as show support for other universities and all citizens of the Milwaukee community that want access to safe streets.