Collaborative Learning School
The Collaborative Learning School (CLS) is a field workshop led by U.S. and African scientists and practitioners. The CLS connects participants with farmers, policymakers, and other stakeholders at the community level to assess food security challenges and identify innovative solutions using the water-energy-food (WEF) nexus framework. The workshop takes place over a two-week period and involves both community-scale and policy-scale modeling and analysis around a community-identified water-energy-food (WEF) nexus problem. The goal of the CLS is to foster collaboration, co-creation, and inclusivity among scientists, community partners, and policymakers. Participants in the CLS will take an active role in these experiences, gaining practical knowledge from exercises which have set objectives and are targeted to benefit stakeholders served by the partnering networks.
The specific objectives of the CLS are to:
- Understand the complex nature of the food security challenges faced by communities.
- Introduce practical methods for applying WEF nexus tools and methods to enhance food security at the community scale.
- Design practical solutions which the community can implement or advocate for, and which may be supported by policy at larger scales.
Upcoming CLS 2024
The 2024 SustainFood CLS will be hosted by Penn State and focus on the complex water-energy-food (WEF) nexus dynamics within the Chesapeake Bay watershed. For more information and to apply, visit the 2024 CLS Page.
Previous CLS
2023 CLS
2023 CLS was held in Uganda from 10-21 July, 2023 (visit our CLS Blog). Week one was dedicated to community level workshops, which will be centered in Buikwe County, Ddungi Parish, Ngogwe sub-county. In addition to community leaders, approximately 50 farmers from 5 villages in this area were engaged to identify community level problems and potential solutions. Week two was dedicated to policy level workshops. Workshops engaged both community stakeholders, as well as district-level policy makers representing key sectors (e.g. agriculture, water, energy, economy, health, development, etc.).
