School of Art’s Nicole Antebi has been selected for the Center for University Education Scholarship (CUES) 2022 Spanning Boundaries Team. Faculty and staff from Biosphere 2, CAPLA and the W.A. Franke Honors College will engage students, faculty and Borderland communities in community-driven research around sustainable food and water solutions.
Communities’ lived experiences are unique and varied, informed by diverse historical contexts and community values. Working alongside community partners is necessary to develop equitable, sustainable, and responsible solutions to current challenges.
This project explores embedding Civic Engagement and Service Learning (CE&SL, 2021) into existing courses by engaging students, faculty and Borderland communities in community-driven research around sustainable food and water solutions. Working across Fine Arts, Engineering, Architecture, Honors, Biosphere 2 and Global Initiatives, the project pilots and evaluates this innovative approach to place-responsive CE&SL, while providing new opportunities for students and faculty to have a measurable societal impact. The project aims to lay foundations for strong bi-national relationships and improved student capacity for community-driven action, as part of the UArizona CE&SL teaching and learning experience.
>>> Learn more about CUES Spanning Boundaries Challenge Grants
2022 Spanning Boundaries Challenge
Community Stories of Sustainability and Resilience: Promise for the Learning Experience
- Caitlyn Hall, Biosystems Engineering, W.A. Franke Honors College
- Nicole Antebi, School of Art, College of Fine Arts
- Aaron Bugaj, Biosphere 2
- Lysette Davi, Honors Global Experience
- Laura Horley, Marketing & Communications, W.A. Franke Honors College
- Kenneth Kokroko, School of Landscape Architecture & Planning, CAPLA
How did you get involved in this project?
I was introduced to Dr. Caitlyn Hall by Aaron Bugaj through the Science in Motion collaboration.
Why did you get involved in this project?
I’ve been working on several binational water projects concerning the Rio Grande/Río Bravo because that landscape as a boundary water had largely shaped my understanding of the way shared watersheds determine the dignity, health, and imagination of their people. And so, as a recent transplant to Tucson, I wanted that same understanding and connection for myself and my students to connect to this part of the borderlands.
What is your role?
We are still in the planning phase, but I hope to be facilitating field work into my animation courses next year by creating inroads for research, access, and collaboration with hydrology students and community members from Hermosillo and La Paz.
Where do “community stories” fit into the project?
Stories are at the heart of this project. Oral histories and stories are tremendously valuable containers for on-the-ground information recorded by citizen scientists to pass on and collate observations and hypothesis for what is taking place.
How does this relate to the other Biosphere 2 project?
This project is another way of creating meaningful connections between art, science, and our region through collaboration between our binational communities.