North Carolina State University
EN-9: Community Partnerships

The purpose of the Natural Learning Initiative is to promote the importance of the natural environment in the daily experience of all children, through environmental design, action research, education, and dissemination of information. The Natural Learning Initiative (NLI), founded in 2000 with the purpose of promoting the importance of the natural environment in the daily experience of all children, through environmental design, action research, education, and dissemination of information, is a research and professional development unit at the College of Design, NC State University, Raleigh, NC, USA. The Natural Learning Initiative team is composed of committed professionals with diverse professional and personal backgrounds. Our team has expertise in landscape architecture, architecture, urban planning, geographical information systems (GIS), early childhood development and policy, and play. Clients include public and private daycare centers, schools, after-school programs and community institutions that run programs for all children such as churches, parks and recreation departments, special education centers, zoos, botanical gardens, and nature centers. http://www.naturalearning.org/

People-First Tourism is a marketplace for buying and selling genuine tourism experiences. This project links entrepreneurs trying to pursue dignified and sustainable livelihoods through tourism with adventurous and conscientious tourists interested in unique off the beaten path experiences and in making positive impacts on the communities they visit. People-First Tourism is a project of North Carolina State University and of North Carolina Cooperative Extension. The project leverages the work and insight of an eclectic group of committed faculty and students from almost every College in the university including technology development by the Institute for Next Generation IT Systems in the College of Engineering. As the project grows, the list of partners and collaborators has been expanding to include numerous academic institutions, community development organizations and businesses - in the US and internationally. This project originated from the scholarship of select project founders, who have extensive research records on the ways individuals and communities respond to opportunities and challenges posed by tourism development. The project is proposed as a solution to the amply documented shortcomings of tourism to engender improved wellbeing and sustainability in destinations. People-First Tourism is a social venture, as it aims at maximizing social profit while breaking even financially. People-First Tourism is also a research paradigm focused on the study of tourism micro-entrepreneurship, of its role in the self-determination of individuals with vulnerable livelihoods, and of the desire for local genuine tourism experiences. Ultimately, through this online marketplace, local communities are encouraged to own their tourism valuable resources and earn income that stays locally, while travelers enjoy more authentic interactions within the local community and environment. https://www.peoplefirsttourism.com/

North Carolina Cooperative Extension gives residents easy access to the resources and expertise of NC State University and NC A&T State University. Through educational programs, publications, and events, Cooperative Extension field faculty deliver unbiased, research-based information to North Carolina citizens. A few examples of environmental and natural resource extension throughout the state include: Industrial Extension Services’ energy conservation through assessments, on-site surveys, and workshops; the Soil Science 4H program teaching children about the ecosystem interactions between soil ; the Natural Resource Economic Development Outreach Program’s work to promote economic and community development through sustainable natural resource management; and North Carolina Sea Grant Extension Program promoting sustainable use of marine resources. Additional examples of local community partnerships can be found here: http://www.ncsu.edu/extension/environment-nr/.

The Alternative Service Break (ASB) trip program is a unique service-learning experience in which students engage in direct service to a community, while being immersed in the culture and customs of that community. Teams are led by student team leaders and accompanied by faculty advisors. Throughout the trip, team members participate in a variety of cultural, educational, recreational and reflective activities to enhance their service experience. Countless student groups volunteered in NC, across the country and around the world over spring break. Each year, 17 teams are sponsored by the Center for Student Leadership, Ethics & Public Service and other campus partners focused on water quality and sanitation, affordable housing, youth education and empowerment, medical clinics, GLBT and civil rights, and environmental issues. To better understand ecotourism, the Costa Rica trip participants engage with local micro-entrepreneurs who are part of People First Tourism. A global initiative of NC State, People First Tourism’s mission connects people seeking genuine travel experiences with micro-entrepreneurs interested in earning income from sharing their communities, lives and skills with others. In addition to learning from the network’s existing entrepreneurs, student participants interview potential new entrepreneurs for the network. http://csleps.dasa.ncsu.edu/asb