Sustainability is an increasingly crucial topic that needs more widespread awareness. Everyone should understand sustainable practices and how they can contribute to sustainability efforts. This was the aim of the Community Engaged Scholars Sustainability Cohort Project.
Who Am I?
My name is Jai Kozar-Lewis. I attend Michigan State University, where I study supply chain management with minors in leadership of organizations and environmental & sustainability studies. Civic engagement has been a significant part of my life, offering me numerous opportunities to give back to my community and raise awareness about pressing global issues. With my minor in sustainability, I strive to bridge the gap between business and community stewardship. Currently, I am a community-engaged scholar with the Center for Community Engaged Learning at Michigan State University. As part of this program, I am in a cohort with ten other dedicated students focused on community engagement. Each year, our cohort undertakes a project, and this year, we leveraged the resources available to me as a Newman Civic Fellow to create a meaningful event. I applied for a mini-grant to support the event's logistics, and our combined efforts resulted in a successful service site for Spartan Day of Service.
Project Overview
We partnered with the Allen Neighborhood Center, a local garden, helping them clean up, lay new soil, and prepare for new crops. Additionally, we created educational pamphlets highlighting sustainable resources around campus and practical steps individuals can take to practice sustainability. At the conclusion of the event we distributed the
pamphlets. Our focus was to combine learning with hands-on experience to leave a lasting impact. This event successfully brought together various groups, including Michigan State intercultural aides, the Allen Neighborhood Center, the Center for Community Engaged Learning, and, of course, myself and the community-engaged scholars.
Our Process
Our process involved identifying organizations and individuals already working on similar initiatives and partnering with them to bring our event to life. We chose to partner with the Spartan Day of Service which made the process much smoother. I was grateful for the overwhelming support we received. Organizing the event's logistics and spreading the word to recruit participants were our next steps. The biggest challenges were raising awareness and promoting the event. From this project, I learned the immense value of partnerships and collaboration in achieving our goals. By working with the Center for Community Engaged Learning, we mitigated many logistical challenges. This experience demonstrates the importance of a strong support system and utilizing the resources available to you. This is crucial especially when managing different projects. I aspire to hold leadership roles in the future and will carry these lessons with me.
Thank you
I am thankful for my team’s hard work and collaboration in making this event a success. Thank you to all our partners as this would not have happened without them. To any future Newman Civic Fellows, I would say that if you have a project that you are passionate about, it is important to remember there are many people who share your vision and are willing to help—you just need to find them. Thank you to The Allstate Foundation and Campus Compact for supporting this project.