2023-2024

Graham Sustainability Scholars

Centering Community Engagement

  • Woman giving a presentation to a seated audience in an outdoor covered pavilion with trees and greenery in the background.

    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.

  • People participating in an outdoor workshop at a table with woodworking supplies, on a covered patio in a neighborhood park on a sunny day.

    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.

  • People sitting and talking in an art gallery or community space with colorful paintings on the walls.

    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.

  • 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.

  • 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.

  • 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.

A rendering of a little girl drawing with chalk, surrounded by native plants and people enjoying the future Green Arts 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

  • Young woman with shoulder-length brown hair, glasses, and a small hoop earring smiling at a social gathering.

    Bailee Duke

    B.S.E. Environmental Engineering

    minor in Energy Science & Policy

  • A young woman with shoulder-length wavy brown hair, wearing a black corduroy jacket and brown top, standing indoors near a window with sheer curtains, smiling at the camera.

    Claire Connelly

    B.S. Program in the Environment

    specialization in Natural Resource Management

  • A woman with dark hair and bangs wearing a colorful knit top with pink, green, and purple patterns, and a gold heart necklace, standing outdoors with blurred greenery and buildings in the background.

    Sarah Bayne

    B.A. Program in the Environment

    B.A. Communications and Media Studies

  • Young woman with long curly hair, glasses, and a nose piercing, smiling in a graduation gown with a blue and yellow stole, set against a blue background.

    Jasmine Paulk

    B.S. Architecture

    minor in Food & the Environment