Exploring Sustainability - Nourishing Changemakers
Exploring Sustainability Through Hands-on Learning
ECM's Sustainability Retreat focuses on providing students and young adults the opportunity to learn about the natural world and how to care for it. The retreat centers around a hands-on and immersive weekends spent on a Southeast Kansas Homestead. Workshops led by local activists, camping out, fireside chats, delicious food from garden produce, and a fabulous host (England Porter) are all part of the experience. Get ready to get your hands dirty and dive into a world of sustainability while being surrounded by the peace and beauty of nature.
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Nourishing Change-Makers
Beyond providing a learning opportunity, a key part of the retreat is also providing students the resources to serve as agents-of-change in their community. Students are invited to cultivate their own environmental justice project throughout the retreat and put it into action once they return home. As part of this process, participants are asked to brainstorm potential projects prior to attending. During the retreat, time is set aside for participants to share their ideas, receive peer-feedback, and plan their first steps. At the close of the retreat, each participants receives a micro-grant to put their project into action over the course of the year. Read about some of the amazing projects students have implemented Here!
What Topics are Covered?
Typically each retreat has its own unique theme which serves as the central topic of the weekend. Past themes have included Native Pollinators, Composting, Foraging for Edible Native Plants, and Green Building practices. Within these themes environmental and social justice implications are key aspects of discussion while hands on activities are central to the teaching methods. To learn more about topics covered, feel free to check out the videos below which feature segments from our Spring 2020 retreat.
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A Project?
After the sustainability retreat participants will share sustainability with others through their own community project. The main requirement for the project portion of the retreat is simply that it must be relevant to the idea of sustainability and be executed in the general Manhattan area.
How do I Sign Up / Application
Our next retreat will be October 24, 2021. Find the application here!
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Fall 2021 Retreat: One-Day Urban Immersion in KCMO
Retreat Itinerary (Subject to Change):
8:00am - 10:00am: Drive from MHK to Marlborough 10:30am - 12:00pm: Green Infrastructure Tour Green Infrastructure tour with Diane and KCMO Water Services in the Marlborough Neighborhood AND DONUTS! 12:00pm - 12:30pm: Travel 12:30pm - 1:30pm: Lunch (Pirate's Bone) 1:30pm - 2:00pm: Travel 2:00pm - 4:00pm: Tour 2 4:00pm - 4:30pm: Snacks 4:30pm - 6:30pm: Hiking the Blue River (4 miles) 7:00pm - 8:30pm: Dinner 8:30pm - 10:30pm: Travel to MHK |
Past Retreats
Spring 2021: Outdoor Spa Retreat
ECM at KSU "ECM feels safe. You sit down to a meal [at RFL] and hear so many different languages. I don't worry about not being from the US. It's home to me at K-State." -Gaby "ECM encouraged me when others didn't. I couldn't have done it without this community. I just want to give back." -Sam "Every time you are at ECM, you are reminded that you are welcome. It's awesome." -Javier |
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