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Applied Leadership Project Handbook 2018-19
Applied Leadership Project Handbook
MA Resilient Leadership
Naropa University Boulder, Colorado www.naropa.edu
2018-2019
1
Table of Contents
Introduction......................................................................................................................................1
Mission of Naropa University..........................................................................................................1
Environmental Studies at Naropa University..................................................................................1
MA Resilient Leadership Program Goals and Learning Outcomes.................................................2
Description of Applied Leadership Project......................................................................................3
Goals & Learning Outcomes...............................................................................................4
Process and Timeline...........................................................................................................4
Proposal Components..........................................................................................................6
Summary/Background of Organization...................................................................7
Needs Assessment Summary...................................................................................7
Proposed Initiative or Plan for Further Research....................................................7
Scope of Work.........................................................................................................7
Confidentiality Agreement......................................................................................7
Participant Consent Form........................................................................................8
Mentorship during the Applied Leadership Project………………………………...…….9
Implementing the Applied Leadership Project....................................................................9
Guidelines for Final Professional Report.............................................................................9
Introduction..............................................................................................................9
Summary Re-visited.................................................................................................9
Assets, Needs, and Opportunities Assessment Summary........................................9
Intitiative/Research..................................................................................................9
Recommendations..................................................................................................10
Evaluation and Project Learning............................................................................10
References..............................................................................................................10
Appendix of Supporting Materials.........................................................................10
Guidelines for Oral Presentation........................................................................................10
Assessment Process.......................................................................................................................10
Information for Participating Organizations..................................................................................11
Participating Organizations............................................................................................................11
Examples of Past MA Resilient Leadership Projects....................................................................15
Applied Leadership Project Agreement Form...............................................................................19
Example Confidentiality Agreement.............................................................................................20
Example Participant Agreement Form...........................................................................................21
2
Introduction
The MA Resilient Leadership program at Naropa University prepares students to address
ecological and social issues within community and organizational settings with insight,
knowledge, and compassion. Students build an integrated understanding of systems,
sustainability and both social and environmental justice; develop deep relationships with self,
community and nature; and acquire applied leadership skills. In the final year, students apply
their leadership skills to a substantial project in collaboration with a professional organization or
complete a formal written thesis. This handbook serves as guidance and policy for those MA
Resilient Leadership students who chose to do the substantial project with a professional
organization, otherwise known as the Applied Leadership Project (ALP).
The ALP occurs during the second year of the student’s program in a business, community, non-
profit, or governmental organization. Students observe and volunteer in the organization so that
they can come to understand its goals, work and organizational systems. Based on this, and in
conversation and collaboration with their organization, they develop a leadership project that
directly benefits the organization. Based on approval from the organization, and in full
collaboration, they then carry out their project.
The Applied Leadership Project is envisioned to be a win-win relationship. Sustainability
practices bring restoration and balance to the human presence on earth as they reduce costs, save
money, bring health and motivation to employees’ lives, enhance products and services offered,
create community, and inspire the public. The student learns applied professional skills and the
people involved with the organization or community move towards a more sustainable, balanced
and healthy world.
This handbook provides an overview of the Applied Leadership Project in relation to the mission
of Naropa University and the curricular goals and learning outcomes of the MA Resilient
Leadership program and gives specific details on all the Applied Leadership Project components.
It is meant as a resource for current and prospective students, faculty, and both participating and
prospective organizations.
Mission of Naropa University
Inspired by the rich intellectual and experiential traditions of East and West, Naropa University
is North America's leading institution of contemplative education.
Naropa recognizes the inherent goodness and wisdom of each human being. It educates the
whole person, cultivating academic excellence and contemplative insight in order to infuse
knowledge with wisdom. The University nurtures in its students a lifelong joy in learning, a
critical intellect, the sense of purpose that accompanies compassionate service to the world, and
the openness and equanimity that arise from authentic insight and self-understanding. Ultimately,
Naropa students explore the inner resources needed to engage courageously with a complex and
challenging world, to help transform that world through skill and compassion, and to attain
deeper levels of happiness and meaning in their lives.
Drawing on the vital insights of the world's wisdom traditions, the University is simultaneously
Buddhist-inspired, ecumenical and nonsectarian. Naropa values ethnic and cultural differences
for their essential role in education. It embraces the richness of human diversity with the aim of
fostering a more just and equitable society and an expanded awareness of our common humanity.
3
A Naropa education—reflecting the interplay of discipline and delight—prepares its graduates
both to meet the world as it is and to change it for the better.
Environmental Studies at Naropa University
Environmental Studies at Naropa University integrates the transdisciplinary study of field
science and living systems, social movements and justice, sustainability, sacred ecology, and
community learning. Academic study is grounded in contemplative practice and hands-on,
community-based service learning.
We believe that through critical examination and understanding of diverse perspectives,
engaging in meaningful relationships, and developing appropriate skills, humans can learn how
to respond to the ecological crisis and return to harmonious and sustainable relationships within
the living world.
Resilient Leadership Program Goals and Learning Outcomes
The MA Resilient Leadership degree prepares the next generation of innovative thinkers and
activists to lead organizational and community transformation towards an environmentally just
and sustainable society. Students learn to identify systems that separate us from the world,
locking us in destructive cycles; unraveling habits and learn to rebuild and retool new,
environmentally just patterns, graduating empowered and ready to help create a responsible
future. Students choose between two area tracks—Sustainable Systems or Climate Justice—with
the bulk of the coursework shared between both pathways.
Through the intensive study of living systems theory, ecopsychology, sustainability, climate
justice, human rights, environmental policy, nonprofit management, entrepreneurship, and
mindfulness, students develop leadership skills to prepare them to become a compassionate
advocate for a healthier, more viable world.
Equipped with these skills, students who graduate from Naropa’s MA Resilient Leadership
program go on to myriad careers as change agents, establishing socially conscious businesses,
working internationally, directing nonprofits, making a difference in government, managing
farms, and working as community organizers.
Naropa’s Environmental Studies Department has been training effective leaders at the master’s
level since 1995. The two-year, 39-credit residential program is composed of semester-long
courses and one summer block where students get hands on experience within the natural world
and in community. In the final year, students apply their leadership skills to a substantial project
in collaboration with a professional organization or complete a formal written thesis. Most
classes are scheduled in the late afternoon and evening, and on occasional weekends, to
accommodate working students.
Goal 1. To provide a deep understanding of the ecological and social crisis through
understanding ecological, social, historical, hierarchical, collaborative and emergent
resilient systems.
Matching Program Learning Outcomes:
4
A. Students explore various forms of systems (ecological, social, historical,
hierarchical and emergent) and determine approaches that foster community and
organizational resilience.
C. Students navigate working in community through learning specific inter and
intra personal skills, accruing the ability to hold multiple perspectives, and by
direct experiential engagement with others.
D. Students acquire in depth literacy of sustainability and environmental policy
and practice across local, national, and global levels.
E. Students comprehend the relationship between ecological issues and social
justice within the frames of human rights, environmental justice, political ecology
and climate justice.
F. Students demonstrate appreciation of sacred world views and build a personal
relationship with the natural world.
Goal 2. To develop a key understanding of sustainability and environmental policy
and practice.
Matching Program Learning Outcomes:
D. Students acquire in depth literacy of sustainability and environmental policy
and practice across local, national, and global levels.
G. Students develop graduate level research, writing and communication skills.
Goal 3. To promote awareness of social and environmental justice issues and to
develop capacity to hold multiple perspectives..
Matching Program Learning Outcomes:
A. Students explore various forms of systems (ecological, social, historical,
hierarchical and emergent) and determine approaches that foster community and
organizational resilience.
B. Students obtain skills for inner development through contemplative practice
and ecopsychological tools.
C. Students navigate working in community through learning specific inter and
intra personal skills, accruing the ability to hold multiple perspectives, and by
direct experiential engagement with others.
E. Students comprehend the relationship between ecological issues and social
justice within the frames of human rights, environmental justice, political ecology
and climate justice.
5
Goal 4. To foster strong relationships with self, nature and community through
contemplative and ecopsychological practices that foster students’ personal capacity
for reflective and participatory leadership.
Matching Program Learning Outcomes:
A. Students explore various forms of systems (ecological, social, historical,
hierarchical and emergent) and determine approaches that foster community and
organizational resilience.
B. Students obtain skills for inner development through contemplative practice
and ecopsychological tools.
C. Students navigate working in community through learning specific inter and
intra personal skills, accruing the ability to hold multiple perspectives, and by
direct experiential engagement with others.
F. Students demonstrate appreciation of sacred world views and build a personal
relationship with the natural world.
I. To prepare students with applicable skills to work and lead in community and
organizational settings.
Goal 5. To prepare students with applicable skills to work and lead in community
and organizational settings.
Matching Program Learning Outcomes:
C. Students navigate working in community through learning specific inter and
intra personal skills, accruing the ability to hold multiple perspectives, and by
direct experiential engagement with others.
D. Students acquire in depth literacy of sustainability and environmental policy
and practice across local, national, and global levels.
E. Students comprehend the relationship between ecological issues and social
justice within the frames of human rights, environmental justice, political ecology
and climate justice.
G. Students develop graduate level research, writing and communication skills.
H. Students acquire nonprofit and social entrepreneurship skills such as
fundraising, grant writing, project design, strategic planning and social
entrepreneurship.
I. To prepare students with applicable skills to work and lead in community and
organizational settings.
6
Description of Applied Leadership Project
The purpose of the Applied Leadership Project (ALP) is the integration of theoretical
perspectives and leadership skills in an applied project in an organizational or community
setting. The ALP is the culminating project of the MA Resilient Leadership program. The
project is designed to give students the opportunity to apply the learning they have gained
throughout the program to a specific organization, business or community. Students will apply
their leadership skills to a mutually agreed upon collaborative project that can include shifting
resource use patterns, encouraging community building and participation, researching new
options or possibilities, and supporting the chosen organization to move towards its contribution
to a just, balanced and ecologically sustainable world in a way that suits or shapes its mission.
Students are encouraged to begin searching for and volunteering in potential organizations
during the summer following their first year of the MA program. During the fall of their second
year, the preparation and the design of the ALP will take place within the curriculum of the
Applied Leadership Skills course (ENV 725). Students will establish an organization or
community group to work with and complete a period of volunteering and observing (at least 40
hours).1 During this period, students will examine their organization’s or community group’s
mission and goals, as well as its systems of work and management. Students will keep a log
documenting the hours (a minimum of 40 hours is required in fall semester) spent with their
constituency and write at least 8 observations. In addition within the ALP course students will
complete relevant readings, keep detailed notes, examine applicable research methodologies and
forms of assessment, engage in class discussions and exercises, and write short reflections. By
the end of the period of volunteering and observing, students will outline the needs and
possibilities of their organization or community group and develop a project proposal in
collaboration with their constituency. At the end of the ENV 725 course, students must have an
approved project proposal and a confidentiality agreement, both of which must be approved by
the organization or community group, the ALP course faculty and program faculty as a whole, as
well as determined a date for their oral presentation during the spring of their final term. During
the spring of their final term, as part of the Capstone Seminar course (ENV 785), students will
carry out their projects, keep a log of their further required minimum of 35 volunteer hours, write
a final report, and complete a presentation for the community.
Goals & Learning Outcomes
Goal: To prepare students with applicable skills to work and lead in community and
organizational settings.
Learning Outcomes:
Students navigate working in community through learning specific inter and intra
personal skills, accruing the ability to hold multiple perspectives, and by direct
experiential engagement with others.
Students develop graduate level research, writing and communication skills.
To prepare students with applicable skills to work and lead in community and
organizational settings.
Process and Timeline
1 Please note that students need to work with an organization or community group outside of Naropa University.
7
Spring semester of the first year of the MA
Program:
Overview of ALP process and brainstorming of
potential organizations to work with
Summer (at end of first year of classes): Research potential community groups or
organizations to work with. Students are
encouraged to begin some volunteering, record
hours and take notes of observations.
Fall semester of second year of MA Program:
Late August: Begin Applied Leadership Skills course (ENV
725)
Research and establish community groups or
organizations to work with if not already begun
over summer
Early September Continue to solidify volunteering and
commitment with community groups or
organizations to work with
Mid-September Finalize community group or organization and
establish schedule for
volunteering/observations
Continue volunteering/observing with group or
organization documenting hours and any
observations in log
8
Mid-September through October Continue weekly volunteering/observing with
group or organization documenting hours and
any observations in log
Formally establish an Organizational Point
Person from your organization who will work
with you on the ALP
Formally establish a Resilient Leadership MA
Faculty member who will be your ALP mentor.
This may be any faculty member in the MA
program except the instructor for the ALP
courses. Meet at last once with your faculty
member so that they are apprised of your
project.
Formally establish a MA Resilient Leadership
Peer Mentor. Meet at last once with your peer
member so that they are apprised of your
project.
Early November Finish volunteering/observing and finish
observation log
Start writing Project Proposal (in collaboration
with organization)
Meet with your faculty mentor and student
mentors individually to get feedback on your
proposal before you hand it in for approval.
Mid-November Complete Project Proposals
Third week of November Submit Final Proposal approved by
organization or community group. Include the
proposal, the signed agreement form, the
confidentiality form and other forms as needed
(e.g. Participant Consent Form).
Submit Project Agreement Form approved by
organization or community group
Sign up for Oral Presentation date for next
spring
Within first two weeks of December Receive official approval/and or revisions for
Project Proposal by faculty in order to
implement ALP (students cannot start
implementing the ALP until they receive official
approval by faculty)
9
Spring semester of second year of MA
Program:
Mid-January Begin Capstone Seminar (ENV 785)
Work on any ALP preparation
Meet or keep mentors apprised of your project
End of January Start implementing ALP
February through March Implement and complete ALP
Early through mid April Write final report draft
Submit your draft to all three mentors with time
for them to read and review it - ideally one to
two weeks depending on their work schedules.
(Be sure to let them know when you will be
submitting the draft and find out how much
time they will need to review it)
Meet with mentors to receive feedback on
written document. (Be sure to book these
meetings ahead since mentors may have busy
schedules that are hard to get on at the last
minute). Edit final report based on feedback.
Mid-end of April Oral presentations
Submit final report (on time as per syllabus)
Early May ALP assessment process
Submit final self-evaluation form
Proposal Components
After completing a period of volunteering and observing, during the November of their second
year of the program, students will write a proposal that outlines their intended project. The
proposal should be about 5 pages and include the following components:
Summary/Background of Organization
During the period of volunteering and observing, students will research and assess the purpose,
mission, values, and goals of their organization or community group. Within the proposal,
students will provide a summation of their findings and effectively describe their organization
10
from sustainability, economic and human resources perspectives. This assessment must include
examining their organization through the lenses of the triple bottom line and the just
sustainability index2 to contextualize their organization regarding their internally and externally
directed sustainability design and purpose. Other addition lenses may be used if desired to
augment this analysis. Note that the students may work with businesses, government entities,
non-profit or for-profit organization, community organization or social enterprises that either
have undertaken sustainability development or have not,or anywhere along a spectrum of
relationship to this in their organization design to date.
Assets, Needs and Opportunities Assessment Summary
While volunteering and observing, students will gain strong awareness of their organization’s or
community group’s systems of operation extending from its ecological footprint to its
organizational dynamics. Through both observation and direct interaction with its members,
students should identify the assets (social, practical etc.), potential needs, and opportunities of
their organization or community group. Students will outline and narrate the potential needs
within the proposal.
Proposed Initiative or Plan for Further Research
While meeting collaboratively with their organization or community constituency (especially the
designated point person), students will hone in on a particular need and design a proposed
initiative or plan for future research that would be completed by the student during the following
spring semester. An initiative is a specific implementable action that would enhance the
organization’s or community group’s level of sustainability. A plan for future research would
outline a research project to gather more information, disseminate findings, and outline a plan for
the future that could be implemented by the organization. Students will provide a general
overview of the proposed initiative or plan for further research within their proposal.
Scope of Work
The scope of work section of the proposal will provide specific details about the proposed
initiative or plan for future research such as the specific goals, proposed activities to accomplish
each goal, a concrete timeline, and anticipated results. Once again, this should be designed in
collaboration with the organization or community group. Students intending to do research must
identify their proposed research methodology and process. Any students intending to collect
information from human subjects must outline a plan for confidentiality and liability (please
review both the Confidentiality Agreement and Guidelines for Research and Working with
Human Subjects sections). The scope of work section must be very specific, minimizing any
potential misunderstanding between the student, organization or group, and the faculty.
Confidentiality Agreement
As the participating organizations and community groups are being of great service to the MA
Resilient Leadership program, our students, the University and the larger field of sustainability,
students must commit to protecting the confidentiality of their constituency. Within the
proposal, students must outline who will have access to their proposal, final report and findings,
and any other relevant information obtained during the course of the ALP. If students intend to
2 Please see the works of Julian Agyeman, particularly Sustainable Communities and the Challenge of
Environmental Justice 2005 NYU Press.
11
disclose information to a wider audience (beyond their classmates, faculty, and constituency)
such as a publication or public speech (distinct from the required oral presentation), students
must make this clear within this proposal section. By signing the Applied Leadership Project
Agreement Form, the point person from the organization or community group agrees to this
intended use. Any changes to the intended use that occur after the Applied Leadership Project
Agreement Form is signed must be approved in writing by all specified parties. Example
Confidentiality Agreements are listed on p. 20.
Participant Consent Form
Students who will conduct interviews and/or other information from human subjects will need to
create a Participant Consent Form. This form serves to protect confidentiality and address
liability issues. An example Participant Consent Form is listed on p. 21.
Mentorship during the Applied Leadership Project
Students will have three mentors who will play a significant role in their ALP process. Each
student will have
1. An organizational point person mentor
2. An MA Resilient Leadership faculty mentor
3. One formal student peer mentor.
These mentors will be formally identified in or by October of the second year. The
organizational point person is the key person from your organization who will work with you on
the ALP. The faculty member who will be your ALP mentor may be any faculty member in the
MA Resilient Leadership program except the instructor for the ALP courses. You may select
your faculty mentor and ask if they are available or willing to take on this role for you. The MA
Resilient Leadership peer mentor will be selected within the Applied Leadership Skills course
(ENV 725).
Students will apprise all mentors of their required role including:
Mentors will give advice, to read the original proposal, read the final paper, attend the
oral presentation of the project in the spring and formally assess both the oral and written
versions of the project. In essence, the mentors are the team who is assessing and
contributing the primary feedback that leads to the student’s final grade.
Students should ask each mentor to read and give feedback on the proposal before it is
submitted in the fall.
Students will consult with their mentors during the spring as appropriate and should
definitely get feedback on their final project before submitting the final written version.
Students will email the final written paper to all three mentors and the capstone course
teacher on the date specified in the syllabus.
Mentors are required to submit their formal feedback directly to the faculty member only
on both the oral presentation and written paper of the project by the deadline specified so
that students can be graded in a timely manner.
Faculty Mentors
Students need to meet twice with their faculty mentors in the fall; once to establish the
relationship and discuss the ALP project and once to get feedback on the proposal before it is
formally submitted. Since faculty members have busy schedules the student should make every
effort to meet with them during regularly scheduled faculty office hours and also send them the
12
proposal draft with enough time to read it over, a week being a minimum. They should also
establish how best to communicate with their faculty mentors and determine the time frame
needed for feedback turn around before submitting things for review.
In the spring semester student will meet 2-3 times with their faculty mentors: once early in the
semester to keep the faculty member apprised of the ALP work progress and once to discuss the
feedback on their final draft of the written ALP. Again, clear communication and time enough to
read the document are key in the feedback process.
Implementing the Applied Leadership Project
During their final spring semester, students implement their ALP within Capstone Seminar
course (ENV 785). Students should start implementing their ALP following the specifics
outlined in their formally approved Project Proposals in cooperation with their organization or
community group by late January. The implementation stage should continue during the months
of February and March, finishing implementation by the end of March.
Guidelines for Final Professional Report
In early April, after implementing their ALP, students will write a final report that overviews
their project, findings, and learning process. Much of the detail from the report will come from
the initial proposal with a deeper integration of theory from their academic program. The final
report should be about 20 pages, written in a professional manner, use APA format, and include
the following components:
Introduction
This section should provide their ALP project, its intent, and a short overview of their report,
providing readers with a general context for the project and organization of the report.
Summary Re-visited
This section should narrate the purpose, mission, values, and goals of their organization or
community group and provide an assessment using multiple lenses of sustainability; the triple
bottom line, the just sustainability index and other lenses if appropriate.
Assets, Needs and Opportunities Assessment Summary
Within this section, students should outline the initial overall context of their organization, here
with emphasis on the needs of their organization or community group that they discovered
during their period of volunteering and observing and that shaped that shaped their ALP project.
Students should identify and go into more detail with the specific needs they chose to address
within their project.
Initiative/Research
Within this section, students will narrate the design of their ALP initiative or plan for future
research that was included in their approved proposal, providing any revisions. The specific
details such as the goals, activities, timeline, and anticipated results which were covered within
the scope of work section of the proposal should also be included. In addition, students who
conducted a research project should overview their methodology and process.
13
Students should also discuss the process of implementing their initiative or research project with
their organization or group and deeply cover what they found as a result of the implementation
process.
Recommendations
In the context of their findings, students should provide both general and specific
recommendations for their organization or community group. These should include both short
and long term goals and suggested strategies for realizing these.
Evaluation and Project Learning
This section should provide an evaluation of their project according to students’ original goals
and the resulting outcomes. Students should self-assess their plan and implementation as well as
reveal what they learned. This latter area should integrate theory from their academic program
and also integrate creative mediums. The integration of theory is a formal, yet smaller, literature
review of pertinent sources gained through the various courses the students have taken
throughout their program. It is formal and should be well sourced.
References
A reference list in APA format should be included.
Appendix of Supporting Materials
Any supporting materials such as interview questions or other supporting documentation created
within the project should be included.
Guidelines for Oral Presentation
During the final weeks of the Capstone Seminar course (ENV 785), students will give oral
presentations that overview the purpose, design, implementation, findings and learning resulting
from the ALP. Each presentation will last approximately 30-45 minutes and the audience will
include students’ peers and their three formal mentors: the point person from their organization,
the faculty mentor and the student mentor, as well as any other members from the University and
larger community. The presentation is a formal unveiling of each ALP as well as a celebration
of learning.
Assessment Process
Both the formal report and the oral presentation will be assessed within the Capstone Seminar
course (ENV 785). Each student will have an assessment committee consisting of their mentors:
a MA Resilient Leadership faculty member, the Organizational point person and one peer student
member. Students will need to compose their committee with support from the course faculty
during the fall Applied Leadership Skills course (ENV 725) and the committee should be
familiar with and supportive of the Project Proposal. Each committee member will receive
specific guidelines from the course faculty for assessing the report as well as the presentation.
The faculty member will complete a final assessment utilizing the documented feedback from
the committee members. In order to successfully complete both the course and the Applied
Leadership Project, the student must receive a B or higher.
14
Information for Participating Organizations
The MA Resilient Leadership program at Naropa University prepares students to address
ecological and social issues within community and organizational settings with insight,
knowledge and compassion. Students build an integrated understanding of systems,
sustainability and both social and environmental justice; develop deep relationships with self,
community and nature; and acquire applied leadership skills. In the final year, students apply
their leadership skills to a substantial project in collaboration with a professional organization or
complete a formal written thesis. This handbook serves as guidance and policy for those MA
Resilient Leadership students who chose to do the substantial project with a professional
organization, otherwise known as the Applied Leadership Project (ALP).
Participating Organizations
The following is a list of some of the organizations who are willing to work with MA Resilient
Leadership students with their contact information. The list is not comprehensive and students
are also encouraged to network with other organizations and community groups that interest
them.
350 Colorado
Executive Director Micah Parkin
504-258-1247
American Alpine Club
720 19th St.
Golden, CO 80401
303-384-0110
Bella Energy
www.bellaenergy.com
David Gomez: [email protected]
500 S. Arthur Ave. Suite 400
Louisville, CO 80027
303-665-2100
Boulder Fair Trade Towns
http://fairtradetownsusa.org/towns/co/boulder/
303-665-2100
Boulder Rights of Nature
Michael Thomason, CU Physics Dept. & Director of CU Learning Labs:
303 492-7117
other BRoN board members present, Steve Jones and Dale Ball
15
Boulder Shamabala Center
http://www.boulder.shambhala.org
1345 Spruce St
Boulder, CO 80402
Ulrike Halpern Center Director
(303) 444-0190 x119
Center for ReSource Conservation
http://www.conservationcenter.org/
2639 Spruce St.
Boulder, CO 80302
303-999-3820 x218
City of Boulder Parks and Recreation Department http://www.bouldercolorado.gov/index.php?option=com_content&task=view&id=39&Itemid=73
Perry Brooks: [email protected]
3198 Broadway Blvd.
Boulder, CO 80301
303-413-7200
Colorado Alliance for Environmental Education
http://www.caee.org/
Ali Sweeny: [email protected]
15260 South Golden Road
Golden, CO 80401
303-273-9527
Community Cycles - Creating a Culture of Cycling in Boulder Colorado
communitycycles.org/
2805 Wilderness Place, Boulder, CO 80301
(720) 565-6019
Cultural Survival– Boulder Office
http://www.culturalsurvival.org
Suzanne Benally: Cultural Survival Exec Director (former ENV MA faculty member)
303-444-0306
Fort Collins Local Food Cluster
970-221-6881
Green Town National
Contact: Patricia Swenson [email protected]
www.greensburggreentown.org
651-408-5739
Gen Green
http://www.gengreen.org/
16
Jay Jacoby: [email protected]
909 E. Prospect Road
Fort Collins, Colorado 80525
Global Alliance of Youth and Adults in Action (GAYA)
http://www.gayainternational.org/
Siri Martinez or Tamara Roske: [email protected]; [email protected]
303-440-8016
4528 7th St , Boulder CO 80304
Global Greengrants Fund http://www.greengrants.org/
Dana Perry: [email protected]
(303) 939-9866, ext 109
Greenwood Wildlife Rehabilitation Center
www.greenwoodwildlife.org
Linda Tyler: [email protected]
303-823-8455
Groundwork Denver
ttp://groundworkcolorado.org/about/contact-us/
2740 West 28th Avenue
Denver, Colorado 80211
Phone: 303-455-5600
Fax: 720-306-8026
Humane Society of Boulder Valley
www.boulderhumane.org
Lizanne Risk: [email protected]
2323 55th St.
Boulder, CO 80301
303-442-4030 x628
Isabelle Farm
Natalie Condon: [email protected]
303-817-6824
10029 Isabelle Road
Lafayette, Colorado 80026
Local Food Shift
Michael Brownlee: [email protected]
2415 19th Street, Boulder, CO 80304
Jarrow Montessori School
www.jaro.org
Michael Girodo
303-443-9511 x 117
Matrixworks
17
http://matrixworkslivingsystems.com/
403 Juniper Ave
Boulder CO 80304
Northwest Earth Institute
www.nei.org
107 SE Washington St # 235
Portland, OR 97214
Local contact in Boulder (and ENV MA Alum): De McNamara [email protected]
Optibike LLC
http://www.optibike.com/
Jim Turner: [email protected]
6859 North Foothills Hwy Building E
Boulder CO 80302
303.443.0932
PassageWorks Institute
http:/www.PassageWorks.org
Mark Wilding (ENV MA Alum)
2355 Canyon, Suite 104
Boulder, CO 8030303247-0156
PLAN- Boulder County
http://www.planbouldercounty.org/
Co-Chair: Ray Bridge, 303-499-8496
Co-Chair: Sarah McClain, 970-275-3154
P.O. Box 4682
Boulder, CO 80306
303-473-9979
Public Works and Water Utilities Department
http://www.ci.longmont.co.us/pwwu/water/operations.htm
Ron Shaw: [email protected]
1100 South Sherman Street
Longmont Co 80501
303-651-8379
Renewable Choice Energy http://www.renewablechoice.com/
Amy Haddon: [email protected]
2500 55th St., Ste. 210
Boulder, CO 80301
303-468-0405 ext 225
Resource Media
Belinda Griswold, Sr. Program Dir.: [email protected];
206-374-7795 x101
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cell: 206 245 5117 – now based in Boulder office
Restorative Leadership
www.restorative-leadership.org
Seana Lowe Steffen, Ph.D.
Executive Director
303-641-8324
The River's Path
Lauren Bond Kovsky, MA: [email protected]
303-859-7174
Rocky Mountain Institute
http://www.rmi.org/
1215 Spruce Street, Suite 301
Boulder, CO 80302
Rocky Mountain Peace and Justice Center
http://www.rmpjc.org/
Betty Ball: [email protected]
P.O. Box 1156
Boulder, Colorado 80306
Located at 3970 Broadway, Suite 105
303-444-6981
Shambhala Mountain Center
www.shambhalamountain.org
4921 County Road 68C
Red Feather Lakes, CO 80545
970.881.2184 x271
Shambhala Mountain Center (land steward)
Land Steward: [email protected] Swaback:
[email protected] County Road 68C
Red Feather Lakes, CO 80545
970-881-2184 x369
Simple Energy
1215 Spruce Street, Suite 301
Boulder, CO 80302
Syzygy Community House
www.sysygyhouse.com
Todd W. Jones (ENV MA Alum)
720-891-0767
Teens 4 Oceans
6655 Arapahoe Rd Suite B,
Boulder CO 80303
https://teens4oceans.org/
Erin Sams: [email protected]
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Thorne Ecological Institute www.thorne-eco.org
303-499-3647
Transition Boulder County/Colorado
Boulder Country Going Local
http://www.bouldercountygoinglocal.com/
Michael Brownlee: [email protected]
2415 19th Street - Boulder, CO 80304
303-494-1521
What’s Working
http://www.whatsworking.com/
David Johnston: [email protected]
303-444-7044
UCAR University Corporation for Atmospheric Research
http://www2.ucar.edu/
Kristen Wagner
Village Earth
www.villageearth.org
David Bartecchi: [email protected]
P.O. Box 797
Ft. Collins, CO
970-491-5754
Waking Up Together – Global Transformation and Feminine Wisdom
Elizabeth Rabia Roberts
303-323-5217
Western Disposal Services
http://www.westerndisposal.com/
303-448-2333 Direct Line
303-444-2037 Main Number
What’s Working
David Johnston: [email protected]
Wildlands Restoration Volunteers
www.wlrv.org
Ed Self
2565 E. Sterling Dr.
Boulder, CO 80305
303-543-1411
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Examples of Past Applied Leadership Projects
What follows are some examples of applied projects that students have carried out. These are just
a few ideas for the kind of work that students may undertake. Projects may take place in
communities, non-profits, government or business organizations that either are or are not
currently engaged in environmental/ sustainability thinking.
Boulder Rights of Nature (BRoN): BRoN is a local community group in Boulder whose purpose
is to raise awareness of and to ultimately gain legal rights for native ecosystems and their native
species populations. The student recognized a shared ethos and passion, and worked with BRoN
to lay much-needed groundwork for one of their campaigns. She created a comprehensive report,
offering critical information on endangered and extirpated mammals of Boulder County. Her
research involved meetings with County and State officials as well as non-profits and local
naturalists, activists, etc. The student successfully created an extremely informative and useful
report; she also spearheaded other activities, such as a Rights of Nature film festival, offered her
growing leadership skills in public meetings regarding other campaigns, and helped to launch a
contemplative sub-committee, “Heart to Heart”.
Colorado Organization for Responsible Economy (CORE) Project: two students paired up to
work with “one of the oldest and largest trade associations in the Rocky Mountain region
dedicated to promoting sustainable business practices and a more responsible global economy.”
Their project consisted in an extensive assessment of the needs of CORE’s various
constituencies (executive director, board members, collaborating organizations, and external
consultant); conducting focus group interviews; outlining specific needs, strengths, and
challenges through surveys, cluster analysis, and appreciative inquiry; and presenting the
findings and specific recommendations to the organization.
Greenwood Wildlife Rehabilitation Center Project: Greenwood Wildlife Rehabilitation Center
rehabilitates sick, injured and orphaned wildlife for release into appropriate habitats. A student
worked with Greenwood staff to develop a long term culture of sustainability and thrive-ability
for people working with wildlife rehabilitation. She facilitated and led seminars to generate
healthy group dynamics to promote healthy behaviors in individual group members and
ultimately encourage personal sustainability and rehabilitators’ resiliency in the face of the
challenges of this important work.
Project with Bella Energy: a student who worked with this Bella Energy, a local leader in solar
energy, focused on how knowledge sharing functioned within the organization. The student
analyzed the organization using a systems view through conducting surveys, facilitating
interviews and focus groups, and conducting research. The nine month process resulted in a
series of recommendations to the organization and implementing some collaborative strategies
amongst employees.
Project with City of Boulder Parks and Recreation Department: a student worked on a Valmont
City Park project that focused on sustainably restoring the historic Platt Farmhouse which “holds
historical, environmental, geographic, and architectural significance in the Boulder community.”
The aim was to make this the first historic, local landmark to be sustainably restored. The
student worked on to conduct research, help with sustainable design, and write grants.
Project with Village Earth: a student worked with Village Earth, an organization whose mission
is to help reconnect communities to the resources that promote human well-being by enhancing
social and political empowerment, community self-reliance and self-determination in working
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directly with communities as allies, distributing appropriate technology information, as well as
providing training, consultation and networking services to individuals, communities and
organizations around the globe. By asking the questions Where am I needed? How can I help?
The student was able to make substantial contributions to the organization through capacity
building and in generating a business model.
Groundwork Denver (GWD): A student developed leadership skills and applications for inner
city youth in Denver by working with the Youth Program, known as the Green Team, at
Groundwork Denver. She facilitated youth in the design and development of a revenue-
generating business model that will reduce and perhaps eventually break the dependency of the
Youth Program on grant money and charitable contributions. This empowered the youth and
supported the Green Team’s grounding in the richness of the GWD mission and goals and
encouraged the telling of their powerful story and purpose.
Outreach and Education with the City of Longmont: through extensive volunteering with the
City of Longmont’s environmental sustainability coordinator, the student identified a need for
greater accessibility and communication about the city’s innovative environmental programs.
This culminated in the design of a web site which would highlight the various programs,
enhancing education and outreach.
Project with Wildlands Restoration Volunteers: a student volunteered for this cutting edge
ecological restoration non-profit, engaging in restoration projects and taking their leadership
trainings. After some time, as she got to know the organization, she realized that, as a primarily
volunteer workforce, they had not yet developed a way to consistently document landscape
change via “before and after” photography on each project.. She planned and designed a
project to set up a user-friendly way for volunteers not trained in ecology or botany to take
before and after photographs from consistent points and document the long term work of the
organization. She created and tested the method herself and then tried it with volunteers. This
work is now a part of the organization's routine data gathering. This data will contribute to
fundraising as well as, both the viability and long term learning of the organization.
University Center for Atmospheric Administration Strategic Planning Process:
A student was hired at UCAR, an organization whose environmentally focused mission he felt
inspired about. In the process of working there he came to understand the culture of the
organization and he realized that it was essential to strengthen the mission with a stronger shared
vision, notably one that incorporated the power of dialogue as a key strategy for fostering
emotional engagement. He found this was a key for the organization to actually embody its
vision of the future. He successfully introduced dialogue, the U-model and a number of other
effective strategies into leading the strategic planning process in his division of the organization.
Project with High Country Conservation Center and the Lake County Energy Working Group:
A student worked with this organization designing and engaging in primary investigative
research into “energy poverty” in the county. He discovered the real needs of low income
members of the community and arrived at substantial recommendations for addressing this issue
in the high country of Colorado.
Project with Summit County, Colorado: a student began volunteering for a local environmental
group in Summit Country. She began “shadowing” the executive director (with her permission)
to see what her work is like and how the organization worked, including attending Board of
Trustee Meetings while volunteering her time there in various ways as well. She wanted this
group to become a much more central part of the lives of residents in the areas, particularly new
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residents who are arriving from other ecosystems and who may not be sensitive to the needs and
concerns of their new home. Her project was to develop a highly interactive website for the
organization that had active outreach to incoming residents. Via this website they were
welcomed in to engaging in environmental work in their new home area, and kept fully informed
to current issues and events, as well as venues through which they could volunteer their time in
contributing to the local environment and community.
Earth Charter Project: a student took over local leadership in this organization after
volunteering on its first public event. As she lead the organization towards its second major
local event she realized that there simply were no specifics or written guidelines for her role as
leader, including everything from practical aspects of the work to methods for dealing with
conflict and with maintaining collaborative collective decision making. She networked with
other local and national leadership and, gathering their experience as well as her own, wrote a
manual that new leaders could use. She strengthened an organization that depends on volunteer
leadership by offering a guidebook with useful guidelines so that each person who steps into the
role doesn’t have to start from scratch.
Indigenous Hill Tribe Project: a Thai student volunteered and acted as a translator for two
environmental loaders who were leading “Bearing Witnesses” marches in the hills of northern
Thailand. He also assisted as they engaged in local bioregional mapping training to teach the hill
tribe members how to present their knowledge of the ecosystem to the government. His project
was to work closely with one tribe to fully document both their ecological knowledge and
present their proposal to the government regarding how they would contribute to forest
maintenance and restoration under new Park Service rules.
Inner City After-School Education Project: a student visited and volunteered in an inner city after
school education non-profit. She noticed that while the organization was helping students with
certain aspects of their life situations they were not connecting students to the natural world in
any significant way. She devised a program to teach students how to value and connect with
their environment where they live (as opposed to a program that would take them out of the city
on a rare basis). She included overnight “wilderness” solos on roof tops among other creative
ideas. These creative ideas were a valuable contribution to the mission of the organization.
Inner City School Project: a student accepted a job teaching in the Denver schools in the local
Hispanic community. She sought permission to develop a leadership class that was highly
interactive. In this class the students in the middle school were able to design and implement a
school wide recycling system, as well as create an Earth event that galvanized them and their
community to be more pro-active about environmental responsibility.
Resource Media: a student who was a filmmaker before beginning her MA, was inspired to find
a film company that could tell the story of the interconnection between environmental and social
justice issues. Working with Resource Media fulfilled that goal, as they are a one-of-a-kind
communications firm, a mission-driven nonprofit, working to improve the health of people and
the planet, and to build a more just and equitable world. Working through offices across the US,
and with UN assistance, their work is organized around five categories or key issues: land, water,
climate, energy and health. The mentor with whom the student worked focused on water and
health, which suited the student’s passions and goals. The project was part of their “Women at
the Center” work, which focuses on women’s reproductive health and education. One of the
student’s goals was to raise awareness in order to reduce unwanted pregnancies, particularly in
Native communities and on reservations. She successfully created an interconnection among her
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Native traditions, the Naropa MA program’s training and her goal of making a film which would
promote and restore health, wellbeing and balance.
South Carolina Watershed Protection: a student wanted to alert the public schools in his
watershed to the importance of teaching about the unique and fragile characteristics of the
combined tidal and river systems in which they live. Following discussion with a number of
schools he filmed interviews with scientists and others all along the river and wove these
together with beautiful footage of the river ecosystems. This effective educational film was
distributed to every school in the area. On the basis of this he was asked to speak in the schools
and later accepted a job teaching in one school in the district. He successfully created a long
term impact on how the public schools approach teaching children about their watershed; a step
towards his goal of having the people of the region become conscious guardians of the delicate
balance of the natural world on which they depend.
Project with Boulder City Open Space: a student wanted to make a significant impact on how
certain aspects of wildlife ecology are taught in City programs. She collaborated with and
attended many talks by local rangers before deciding on her approach. She focused on
wildflowers and raptors – looking for a way to incorporate a more systemic view, i.e. how these
aspects are linked to the local ecosystem as a whole. She arranged for many local well known
photographers to donate slides. She then created a curriculum using these visual materials. She
taught her workshops on wildflowers and raptors several times to the public and then donated her
curricula and the slides to the City for future use by rangers. She successfully met her goal to
promote a more interconnected way for the City to teach about local plant and wildlife.
Transition Colorado: A student carried out a collaborative leadership project with Transition
Colorado adding value to the organization in the realm of sustainability in the areas of food
security strategies, community engagement process, food localization and resilience. Asking the
question: “How can the local foods movement and the emergency food assistance network work
together to improve access to healthy local foods for all Boulder County citizens while
supporting the long-term viability of Boulder County food producers?” she conducted
stakeholder interviews with community members, convened interfaith dialogue on this issue, and
catalyzed further region wide collaboration focused on food justice and access with the aim of
advancing and diversifying the community engagement work of Transition Colorado.
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Applied Leadership Project Agreement Form
MA Resilient Leadership
Naropa University
Student Contact Information
Student Name: _________________________________________________________________
Address: ______________________________________________________________________
Phone: _____________________________ Email: ______________________________
Organization Contact Information
Organization Name: _____________________________________________________________
Primary Contact Person: _________________________________________________________
Address: ______________________________________________________________________
Phone: _____________________________ Email: ______________________________
Website: ______________________________________________________________________
May Naropa list your organization’s website in our MA Resilient Leadership materials?
___Yes ___No (Please check one)
Based on research and observation followed by needs assessment and data gathering the student
has designed the following project in full collaboration with the organization. See attached
project proposal which includes:
1. Summary/Background of Organization including function, mission, observations and
a systems analysis
2. Needs Assessment Summary
3. Proposed intervention or further research
4. Scope of work including time commitment, contacts, location etc.
5. Confidentiality agreement (re data disclosure and names)
Our organization gives permission for the student to carry out the project as described during the
_________ academic year. The project is to be completed by the April of ______ (year).
___________________________ ______________
Organizational contact signature Date
I assume responsibility for carrying out the project as described in the project proposal and to
complete this by the above deadline.
___________________________ ______________
Student signature Date
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Examples of Confidentiality Agreement
Confidentiality Agreement: Example 1
All participants will be confidential; names will be changed in any final products. The MA
Resilient Leadership department will have access to the findings. The findings will be used for
several purposes; for example, written publications such as WorldView articles and RPCV CC
website, but participant identities will be kept confidential.
Confidentiality Agreement: Example 2
This Applied Leadership Project will only be made available for my graduate cohort, faculty, and
the point person I am working, unless future revisions to this confidentiality agreement are
agreed upon by the point person and me.
Confidentiality Agreement: Example 3
The information gathered from all participants in this study will be held in the strictest
confidence. I will investigate with management if I am required to sign a confidentiality
agreement with them for this project. The distribution of this project is limited to the relevant
staff at the City of Longmont, and the Applied Leadership Project Review Committee at Naropa
University, and any attendees of my oral presentation.
Confidentiality Agreement: Example 4
The data and information gathered from all participants will be held in the strictest confidence.
The distribution of this proposal is limited to the relevant staff and focus group members of
Connected Organizations for a Responsible Economy (CORE) and to the Applied Leadership
Project Review Committee at Naropa University, Boulder CO. Any training materials designed
for this project are the sole property of Skeeter Buck and Fabiana Nardi.
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Example of Participant Consent Form
Kristin Wegner, a master’s student at Naropa University in Boulder, Colorado, is conducting a
study of exploring how Returned Peace Corps Volunteers (RPCVs) share and connect their
international experiences with their American communities.
The guiding question of this study is how does sharing these stories transform the connection to
self and the larger community? The researcher is interested in how an individual can change
through this process and how this change can affect self, community, and global perspective.
The research is utilizing organic inquiry. Within this research methodology, stories will be
collected through an interview process. The methodology holds that the researcher and
participants may be changed as a result of their participation.
This inquiry is intended to help connect Returned Peace Corps Volunteers that are active within
the Colorado Chapter change as a result of their experience. It is a story-telling and compiling
process, with the aspiration of giving life to the stories in a deeper understanding of the
transformational experiences and develops connection to this change. After the interviews are
completed, the researcher will provide you with a written narration of your story in which you
will be asked to approve and/or edit. You will also receive a copy of the final dissertation upon
request.
You will be asked to choose a fictitious name to keep your identity anonymous in any printed
narrations of your story. All recorded, transcribed, and written responses will be confidential to
Kristin Wegner.
If you have any questions or concerns regarding your rights as a participant in this study, you
may contact – anonymously, if you wish – Professor Jeanine Canty, Naropa University, Boulder,
CO, telephone (303) 245-4735; email [email protected].
I, _______________________, consent to participate in the study conducted by Kristin M.
Wegner of the Naropa University. I have received a copy of this consent form and the
Confidentiality Statement, and I understand that my confidentiality will be protected within the
limits of the law.
Please initial one of the following:
___ I consent to the use of sections of my recorded story for use of RPCV CC in emails,
newsletters, other future publications, future fundraising, public relations, or organizational
development. Please indicate if you would like your fictitious name used in this media:
___________
___ I do not consent to the use of sections of my recorded story for use of RPCV CC in emails,
newsletters, other future publications, future fundraising, public relations, or organizational
development
