The University of the District of Columbia (UDC) will conduct a Targeted Infusion Project entitled - Enhancing Undergraduate Programs in Environmental Science and Sustainability. This project will enable UDC to improve the quality and scope of the undergraduate environmental sciences and sustainability programs. In this project, three comprehensive core strategies that include seven project activities will be developed and implemented.
The first strategy includes updating the undergraduate curriculum and course contents by creating and integrating new modules, by enabling interactive online course for mobile delivery, and by including data mining and infusing sustainability into all courses. The second strategy focuses on the development of a hands-on multidisciplinary summer-bridge program designed for high school students in Washington DC to boost their interest and to increase enrollment in UDC's undergraduate programs in environmental science and engineering. The third strategy is to develop two team-oriented experiential and problem-based learning multidisciplinary courses - sustainability and urban water quality.
The ultimate goal is to increase the participation of underrepresented minority students in undergraduate STEM education, especially in the environmental sciences and sustainability programs. The short term goals of this project include: increased program quality by incorporating lab and field experiments, increased enrollment and retention in the undergraduate environmental sciences programs, and preparation of students for graduate school and the workforce.
