UVM/VFN Fall ’09 Partnership in Review
Throughout fall 2009, the Mad River Valley served as the focus of a University of Vermont course within its Community Development Applied Economics Department. The 14 students in the undergraduate service learning course, CDAE 295 “Local Community Initiatives,” participated and analyzed a handful of the Valley’s community organizations.
With local partners the Valley Futures Network and the Mad River Valley Planning District, the students learned about the different ways that community-members work together to identify challenges, resources and solutions and how they envision their future. The three projects were: a research-based analysis of the organizational structure of the Valley Futures Network, a similar analysis of the Mad River Path Association focusing on membership, and an inventory of renewable energy projects in the Valley.
I am happy to present the final presentations and reports from each of the three groups. Please note that these reports are based on data and impressions gathered by UVM students during the fall semester 2009.