Solutions-focused Interactive “Ateliers”
Spring 2012 Course:
Measuring Oregon's well-being | pdf flier
"Education is not a preparation for life; education is life itself."
John Dewey
“Ateliers” (French for workshops) address real world problems at multiple time and space scales by involving faculty and students from many disciplines, decision-makers, and other stakeholders in collaboratively finding integrative solutions to real-world problems. The main elements of ateliers include:
- transdisciplinary problem-based, solutions-focused learning;
- community/client sponsorship;
- stakeholder participation;
- blurring of the distinctions between faculty and student, research and education;
- adaptive management and flexible working groups; and
- appropriate and practical communication and publication of results
Grounded in experiential learning models such as service learning or problem-based learning, these solutions-focused atelier courses provide students with hands-on problem-solving experience, while providing communities with working solutions to previously vexing challenges. Students develop key citizenship and career skills through the application of transferable tools and disciplinary knowledge. Atelier courses also provide a platform for transdisciplinary collaboration among university scholars, staff and community practitioners. The community challenges addressed may exist on or off campus: locally, regionally, nationally or internationally. The goal of these courses is also to communicate the results to the larger world through an appropriate publication medium, such as journal articles, websites, books, newspapers, video documentaries, etc. This will allow courses to achieve faculty publication goals while training students in the art of effective communication.
Examples atelier courses currently being offered or developed include:
- Building a sustainable Vernonia, OR
- Portland Local Energy Assurance Plan (LEAP)
- The Future of the Periodical
- Developing a sustainable prosperity plan for Portland
Past examples:
- Food Energy & Quality of Life
- Applied Sustainable Solutions in New Zealand
- Overcoming Institutional Roadblocks to Sustainability
- Payments for Ecosystem Services: From Local to Global
- GPI for Burlington and Vermont
