Sustainability Education as a Catalyst for University and Community Partnerships

Abstract

Universities are uniquely positioned to lead society toward sustainability and their collaborations with community organizations are essential to this transition. The Biodiesel Program at Loyola University Chicago Center for Urban Environmental Research and Policy provides a case study of course-based service-learning projects facilitating synergies between the university and the community while concomitantly fostering urban sustainability. This article discusses the program's design and structure, and describes specific examples of community partnerships that have benefited the university, the community, and the environment.