Organizational Partners

With key funding from the Henry David Thoreau Foundation that was matched by the Rubenstein School of Environment & Natural Resources, along with internal in–kind support from University for staff time and infrastructure, we are able to focus our efforts into direct support of student activities. We will be partnering with respected community partners including Shelburne Farms, the Vermont Design Institute, and the Yestermorrow Design/Build School. These professional partnerships will give students access to training and sources of local building materials.

The Ecological Design Collaboratory represents a network of partnerships among the following organizations:

• The University of Vermont
• The GreenHouse RLC serves as the physical space of the Ecological Design Collaboratory. The GreenHouse RLC is a LEED certified UVM residence hall located in University Heights South Complex. Sophomores living in the GreenHouse will participate in the Ecological Design Collaboratory through enrollment in one of the NR 16 course offerings during the 2013-2014 school year.
• The Rubenstein School of Environment & Natural Resources will be the academic setting for the course modules offered by the Ecological Design Collaboratory, many of which are offered by faculty, recent graduates, and upper-level students from the Rubenstein School.
• Burlington Geographic is a Burlington-based initiative of the PLACE Program, and is designed to foster a deep sense of place and sustainable future for Burlington. Currently under development, there will soon be a robust website featuring interactive maps, audio and video recordings, photographs, and interpretive text.



• The Henry David Thoreau Foundation, along with the Rubenstein School, has provided the funding to make the Ecological Design Collaboratory possible. Walter Poleman received the $35,000 Faculty Grant from the Thoreau Foundation, which supports faculty and undergraduates in programs to “support creative approaches to environmental work at local and global scales that have lasting, positive impact.”
• Shelburne Farms is a non-profit education organization whose mission is to cultivate a conservation ethic for a sustainable future. They have been a key partner in the development and implementation of the PLACE Program in Vermont, and will provide both skills-based mentorship and local building material (wood, clay, stone) for the project.
• Yestermorrow Design/Build School, located in Waitsfield, VT, offers workshops in design, construction, woodworking, and architectural craft. They will provide focused design training to our students and facilitate courses that will serve as prizes for the design competition.
• The Vermont Design Institute is a non-profit organization of design professionals formed as a resource and design center to serve grassroots communities in Vermont and elsewhere. VDI will serve the critical role of facilitating an ecological design competition during the period of the grant.
• Burlington–area schools
• The Burlington community

As the work of the Ecological Design Collaboratory is intended to extend beyond the walls of the University, we plan to collaborate with local schools and the community through design competitions and by providing mentorship to students and teachers in around ecological design. If you are interested in partnering with us, please let us know!