Home with Hope: Green Infrastructure EEE 495: Urban Water Projects

Urban landscapes have serious impacts on water quality through the disruption of the hydrologic cycle. The Purdue University course, Environmental and Ecological Engineering 49500: Urban Water Projects, seeks to use student-led service-learning projects to improve both water quality and quantity in the Wabash River water-shed. This year, students investigated and implemented strategies to guarantee that previous implementations succeed well into the future. Two students, Victoria Chillscyzn and Madeline McIntosh, were part of a team working with the local nonprofit Home with Hope. Through interviews, a survey, and site visits, the team determined action items to improve the form and function of the installations. A grant was submitted and accepted through Purdue Student Service-Learning Grant Program for Community Service/Service-Learning Projects to fund an additional rain barrel and an edible garden at the nonprofit. Additionally, educational materials and a maintenance schedule were created to bolster care of the site. This course gave the authors the ability to give back to the local community in a meaningful and relevant way