Urban Design Sustainability Program
Read the NY Lens Interview about the debut of our summer program.
The Urban Design & Sustainability Program (UDSP) empowers students to create environmental and resilience responses. Our approach is based on permaculture design, a philosophy and an interdisciplinary design science modeled after patterns found in nature. Students learn how to reframe urban environmental and social challenges through systems thinking, focusing on how different components are interconnected.
Beyond Organic Design offers the Urban Design & Sustainability Program as a 6-week summer program. However, we also offer a year-long science elective called the Urban Design and Sustainability Training (UDST). Upon successful completion of the training program, students may be awarded with an internationally recognized certificate from the Permaculture Institute of North America (PINA), a professional trade association.
BOD's UDSP was the first educational program to integrate permaculture design into New York City schools.
Beyond Organic Design offers the Urban Design & Sustainability Program as a 6-week summer program. However, we also offer a year-long science elective called the Urban Design and Sustainability Training (UDST). Upon successful completion of the training program, students may be awarded with an internationally recognized certificate from the Permaculture Institute of North America (PINA), a professional trade association.
BOD's UDSP was the first educational program to integrate permaculture design into New York City schools.
Topics covered in USDP include:
Beyond Organic Design leverages long-standing relationships with guest speakers at the Brooklyn Grange rooftop farm and Smiling Hogshead Ranch in Queens, New York to also offer immersive field trips with established farm systems. BOD educators work with teachers 1:1 to maximize hands-on training for their students as they design and build their own local environmental system and turn outdoor spaces into outdoor classrooms.
- Intro to Permaculture Design
- Analyzing soil and seed-to-harvest requirements
- Options for water sources and renewable energy
- Intro to waste management
Beyond Organic Design leverages long-standing relationships with guest speakers at the Brooklyn Grange rooftop farm and Smiling Hogshead Ranch in Queens, New York to also offer immersive field trips with established farm systems. BOD educators work with teachers 1:1 to maximize hands-on training for their students as they design and build their own local environmental system and turn outdoor spaces into outdoor classrooms.
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Our Summer Program coaches students to understand their intended and unintended impact on their environment.
Theme-based units and concepts become more complex as students advance, with an increased emphasis on large and small group activities both outdoors as well as in the classroom. |
Field Trips |
See, touch, and experience green technologies covered at school in action! The Science Barge is located in Yonkers, NY, and specializes in low-tech and inexpensive interventions to improve the environment.
Expect demonstrations of their rainwater-powered hydroponic and aquaponic systems and tours of their solar arrays and wind turbines, and zero-waste practices via their urban composting system!
Expect demonstrations of their rainwater-powered hydroponic and aquaponic systems and tours of their solar arrays and wind turbines, and zero-waste practices via their urban composting system!
Design a Permaculture Space
Students participate in a 5-step participatory curriculum in which they study local environmental sustainability efforts as well as design and install their own community garden. Each unit is followed by an individual and group reflection.
Program activities include:
Program Length: Quarter-long and Semester-long programs
Availability: Spring and Summer (Flexible start and end dates)
Interested? Please email info@beyondorganicdesign.org. Please note that we will need access to a computer lab and kitchen space, as well as a garden design site
Program activities include:
- Student-Published “Growing Experiences” Memoir Anthology or Community Cookbook.
- Individually Generated Permaculture Garden Designs
- A Cafe Night Celebration of Stories and Food
Program Length: Quarter-long and Semester-long programs
Availability: Spring and Summer (Flexible start and end dates)
Interested? Please email info@beyondorganicdesign.org. Please note that we will need access to a computer lab and kitchen space, as well as a garden design site
