SWF Global Fellowship Pilot Program Launch | Summer 2020
This summer, SWF welcomed a cohort of six undergraduate and graduate students from five different universities for its 10-week Urban Ecology Global Fellowship Program. Fellows engaged in a unique blend of in-person and virtual programming throughout the summer; exploring the transdisciplinary nature of urban ecology through the SWF’s practice of Regenerative Neighborhood Development. On Thursday, August 20, 2020, Sweet Water Foundation (SWF) hosted a group of more than 30 global practitioners, educators, and leaders representing 10 cities, 2 countries, and 10 universities for the 2020 SWF Urban Ecology Fellowship final presentation. Read on to learn more.
Six students (3 undergraduate and 3 graduate students) from 5 universities were selected to participate in a pilot program for Sweet Water Foundation Global Fellowship. The SWF Global Fellowship is a unique program that provides participants with a hands-on and solution-oriented experience examining concepts of Urban Ecology through real-life application at The Commonwealth.
The inaugural group of SWF Global Fellows consisted of 3 undergraduate and 3 graduate students representing 5 universities: Rhode Island School of Design, University of Chicago, Columbia University, Illinois Institute of Technology, and Cornell University. Four of the Fellows participated virtually and two Fellows engaged in a 50/50 hybrid model, spending half of their time virtually and half onsite at The Commonwealth.
The first weeks of the fellowship provided Fellows with a “disorientation” period to get acclimated to SWF, the fundamentals of urban ecology, and their respective roles and projects. A key part of their onboarding focused on the importance of urban ecology in the creation of community. The Fellows, then, collaboratively tackled a portfolio of projects that examined concepts of urban ecology across The Commonwealth. Hybrid fellows engaged in hands-on work on SWF’s Community Farm and carpentry projects such as the design + build of SWF’s latest reclaimed seat, the stacking stool.
Virtual fellows participated in daily meetings to share progress on projects, collaborate with onsite fellows, and get an up close and personal view of The Commonwealth via Google Meet. Onsite fellows and the SWF team provided real-time views of the site, progress on built projects, and measurements for drawings and diagrams. As a collective group, the virtual and onsite fellows worked to create an urban ecology portfolio that renders the invisible, visible. They analyzed a number of spaces at The Commonwealth (the Smart Pod, SWF Community Garden, Community Farm, Thought Barn, [Re]Construction House,) from spatial, qualitative, quantitative, and policy perspectives. Other key efforts included the creation of a portfolio of energy diagrams and flows to understanding the importance of energy at The Commonwealth and a critique of policy frameworks that fail to include places like The Commonwealth that offer a regenerative perspective on health + wellness, housing, education, and development.
On August 20, Urban Ecology Fellows presented to an international audience of educators, designers, community members, and leaders from organizations and institutions such as ArtPlace America, DePaul University, Harvard Graduate School of Design, IIT Institute of Design, James and Grace Lee Boggs Center, MIT, Rhode Island School of Design, Smart Museum of Art, University of Chicago, University of Illinois at Chicago, University of Michigan, and Urban Farming Institute. The virtual presentation was viewed from Albuquerque, Boston, Chicago, Detroit, Milwaukee, New Orleans, and New York. Their presentation demonstrated a new normal; bridging the virtual and in-person worlds through an examination of solution-oriented design + built projects at The Commonwealth.
Sweet Water Foundation is grateful to all those who dedicated their time to making the pilot SWF Global Fellowship a huge success despite the ongoing challenges presented by COVID-19. The SWF Team + Family looks forward to engaging future fellowship cohorts and values-based partners in Fall 2020.
There GROWS the neighborhood!