Urban Ecology Institute Intensive

The Urban Ecology Center offers 20+ years of experience in neighborhood transformation, and is thrilled to share in this online Intensive. In this interactive online course, participants will cover the intersecting themes of transforming kids, parks, cities, and the world. Taking this course will leave you with a thorough understanding of the Urban Ecology Center model, tools to help you reflect meaningfully on how the model can benefit your city/project, and an expanded network and ongoing support from other community leaders.

The Intensive includes five 90-minute sessions, each with interactive presentations from the Institute faculty team. As we guide you through lessons drawn from our experiences, you will reflect on case studies that can apply directly to your own community. At regular intervals, you will engage in conversation with other participants in break-out groups. You are building a cohort in this Intensive, leading to lasting relationships with emerging and established leaders in other cities.

Weekly activities include optional Q & A sessions, reading assignments, and individualized feedback on written reflections. The activities culminate in a self assessment of your current project planning process, which will allow us to help you evaluate next steps in your community. Every participant (individually or as part of their team) will have a follow-up hour of coaching with Institute leadership.

Who should join us?

Individuals or teams from the same organization or community. Creative problem solvers, city leaders, and educators — from the public, private or non-profit sectors — who are committed to educating and inspiring youth, revitalizing urban green space, or are seeking solutions to renew disinvested neighborhoods. When teams from different places working on the same local issues share their experiences together, that’s when the magic happens.

Who else could join us? While our focus is urban, we are sharing best practices for running a successful, growing non profit. Our model becomes relevant for nature centers and community centers serving children, as well as intergenerational programs, agriculture organizations that focus on education and community building, and university programs. This is a roots-and-stems, hands-on practical workshop that will be useful for many.

Learn more here