2023-2024
Graham Sustainability Scholars
Centering Community Engagement
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Building Community Resilience
Information plays a vital role in fostering climate resilience and sustainable development. Through town hall meetings and summer events, like the DIY air filter event and pollinator education workshop, the Graham Scholars shared their research about the benefits and practices of Green Stormwater Infrastructure and climate resilience. Jasmine Paulk worked to clarify garden signage and produce programming around sustainable practices, making the space more accessible to all residents.
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Strengthening Connections
Community cohesion is the backbone of sustainable living. The Marygrove project facilitated events such as the Green Alley Town Hall, the Holiday Bazaar, and the Juneteenth celebration, which provided opportunities for residents to gather, share ideas, and build a collective vision for their community spaces. Attendees at events, like the Green Alley Town Hall, were encouraged to create collages that articulated their vision for community spaces, fostering a sense of shared purpose.
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Collective Visioning
Collective workshopping is crucial for community-led change. The Graham Scholars collaborated with the Marygrove Community Association (MCA) to ensure community needs were at the heart of decisions scoping the Green Alley Project. Surveys, workshops, and visual collaging activities allowed community members to share their opinions and create collective ownership of the project, highlighting a sustained commitment to centering local knowledge and preferences in the project’s evolution.
Green Arts Alley
Initially aimed at integrating Green Stormwater Infrastructure to address flooding, the project evolved into creating a multifunctional green space that fosters community engagement and climate resilience. The rendering below has been informed by community input at events like the Holiday Bazaar and Green Alley Town Hall.
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From porous pavers to permeable asphalt to native plant gardens, the Green Arts Alley project seeks to mitigate harmful local flooding through natural infiltration and absorption processes.
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Among the practical functions of the Alley, it will serve as a community space. The incorporation of art in the Alley will serve to represent and uplift the Marygrove Community.
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The future Green Arts Alley sits between the Huntington Community Park and the Indiana Street Garden. These crucial green spaces will be brought together and enhanced by the Alley.
The Graham Scholars' design renderings creatively envisioned the alley as a multifunctional community space. They incorporated features like rain gardens to manage stormwater and mitigate flooding, alongside seating areas and shade structures to encourage social interaction. Educational installations and pollinator gardens were included to enhance biodiversity.
Meet the Team
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Bailee Duke
B.S.E. Environmental Engineering
minor in Energy Science & Policy
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Claire Connelly
B.S. Program in the Environment
specialization in Natural Resource Management
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Sarah Bayne
B.A. Program in the Environment
B.A. Communications and Media Studies
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Jasmine Paulk
B.S. Architecture
minor in Food & the Environment