Pandemic Academy Collaborative ILCs: Toward a Better Post-Pandemic World

How to emerge from the pandemic with "a more sustainable, equal and diverse society" is not just a central question but an urgent goal put forth in a manifesto by Dutch academics. Indeed, this collaborative multi-faculty summer ILC, in partnership with the Center for Community-Based Learning and Action (CCBLA), will support students’ extension of:

a) inquiries initiated in spring quarter’s  Pandemic Academy

b) spring SOS and ILC projects responding to community need; and

c) new engagements with emergent occasions that surround us, particularly those amplified by COVID-19.

In recognition of Dutch academics’ manifesto against disaster capitalism , this collaborative ILC’s embodiment of disaster cooperativism encourages student proposals that focus on one, or some combination of, the following 5 transformations:

1) differentiating sectors that need to grow (such as investment in critical public services like health, transportation, arts, and education) and sectors that need to degrow (such as private investment and other forms of predation)

2) developing climate sensitive economic practices built on cooperation, solidarity, & redistribution

3) increasing regenerative agriculture and resilient local food networks

4) degrowing luxury consumption and travel

5) debt forgiveness and cancellation

Climate change is at the core of our work and overarching each point is a commitment to action research that makes our knowledge common through documentation and publication, both of which are practices that will be supported through workshops.

Participants will have the chance to help build a new model of teaching and learning where students will create and register Independent Learning Contracts with individual faculty who in turn will coordinate and collaborate to build a shared online learning community using Canvas, Zoom, a shared WordPress site featuring  ePortfolios of student projects, and pilot opportunities with online annotation (hypothesi.is)and Microsoft Teams. 

Interested students should develop a proposal at my.evergreen.edu and contact faculty who share their interests, as listed below in relation to the 5 points of disaster cooperativism articulated in the Dutch manifesto. The CCBLA can assist in connecting students to community needs.

This collaborative ILC is ideal for responsible, self-motivated students who value collaborative learning, are enthusiastic about shaping a community of co-learners and faculty, are committed to learning from and with community organizations, and are eager to make their knowledge common in skillful and responsible ways.

Note: Students doing work beyond the remote classroom will be required to read and sign the following forms: Assumption of Risk – Informed Consent – Release of Liability

Participating Faculty List: 

Savvina Chowdhury (chowdhus@evergreen.edu); 1, 2

Hirsh Diamant (diamanth@evergreen.edu); 1

Dion Gouws (gouwsd@evergreen.edu); 1,2,3,5

Zoltan Grossman (grossmaz@evergreen.edu) 1, 2

Rachel Hastings (hastingr@evergreen.edu); 2 

Nancy Koppelman (koppelmn@evergreen.edu); 4

Carolyn Prouty (proutyc@evergreen.edu); 1

Martha Rosemeyer (rosemeym@evergreen.edu); 3

Joli Sandoz (sandozj@evergreen.edu); 1, 2

Steve Scheuerell (scheuers@evergreen.edu); 2, 3, 4

Eirik Steinhoff (steinhoe@evergreen.edu); 1, 2, 5

Wenhong Wang (wangw@evergreen.edu ); 1, 5

Sarah Williams (williasa@evergreen.edu ); 3, 4