CEED, founded in 1996 as project of Environmental Sciences and Studies Department, has a two-fold mission: (1) to expand educational opportunities to Allegheny College students, and (2) to increase community and regional leaders’ understanding of how economic and environmental decisions can work hand-in-hand to revitalize northwest Pennsylvania.
CEED absorbed an existing project (French Creek Environmental Education Project) and initiated others, including: Environmental Curriculum Project; Strategic Environmental Management; Ecotourism; Art and Environment; Meadville Community Energy Project; Sustainable Forestry and Agriculture; French Creek Visioning Project; and Enterprise for Sustainability Program.
CEED is managed by an Environmental Science associate professor and an administrator; Environmental Science/Studies faculty or faculty from other departments manage individual projects. CEED wanted to know how it could become a sustainable organization given the small number of faculty members, their limited time, and a regular student turnover.
TerrAqua and Colby College professor David Firmage conducted an evaluation through on-site interviews at Allegheny College and in the larger community of Meadville. We developed recommendations for (1) organizational development, (2) working with faculty and community members, (3) an external advisory committee, (3) ensuring project continuity, (4) community liaison, (5) CEED’s relationship to the rest of Allegheny College, (6) faculty evaluation, (7) ensuring academic quality for students, (8) developing a strategic implementation plan, and (9) broadening CEED’s base of support.