Project SustAIn: Sustainable Agriculture Initiative

“In partnership with Outside In, Pacific University School of Occupational Therapy and two students, as a part of their Innovative Practice Project (IPP), began Project SustAIn… in 2008. Project SustAIn was a renewed effort to continue a gardening program initiated at Outside In’s Education Resource Center by one of the Urban Education teachers (see Figure 1 for an illustration of Project SustAIn: Program Development and Partnership). Project SustAIn was initially designed to create vocational job opportunities and attain educational credits for the homeless youth while collaborating with occupational therapy to develop work and vocational skills through the therapeutic process of gardening; these skills included personal goal development and planning, time management, professional behavior and interview skills training.

Through continued partnership on the behalf of the original 2008 occupational therapy students (currently practicing occupational therapists), Pacific University, and Outside In’s Urban Ed program, Project SustAIn was expanded in the Winter of 2010 by two additional occupational therapy students as a part of their IPP to encompass a new tract for independent living and transitional skill development as well as grow in areas of professional and organizational collaboration to more fully meet the needs of Portland’s homeless youth population” (p.i). (Abstractor: Author)

“The survey indicated that the groups provided many new experiences and that many of the aspects of the group were enjoyable for participants. The survey results also suggested further interest in a SustAIn course related to Bike Repair, Leisure and/or pet care/companionship. Individual sessions elicited informal feedback to plan subsequent sessions. For example, after one participant expressed the desire to work on communication skills, we planned the next session to include a group activity around communication/behaviors in professional and personal situations. Another participant articulated that the reason she believed the individual sessions to be beneficial was because ‘it is all about supporting my goals, not some goals you give to everyone but I know whatever I want to work on, you’ll help me find the steps to get there’” (p.9).(Abstractor: Author and Website Staff)

• Last Updated:
• Created:
• Resource Publication Date: 2010
• Author(s): Eoff, Heather; Potts, Jennifer
• Organizational Author(s): Pacific University
• Funding Source: Pacific University
• Resource Availability: Publicly available
• Posted by: Wesley Peterson
• Posted in: Workforce System Strategies