Restoring Communities with Urban Agroecology A Proposal for the Expansion of the Urban Agroecology Certificate for the Environmental Technology Department at Merritt College in Oakland, CA

The first section of this document contains a Literature Review, which surveys the culmination of my investigation within the Action for a Viable Future Masters Program in the Hutchins School of Liberal Studies. It chronicles the academic journey from the foundational courses ITDS 510A Critical Inquiry: A Preparation for Action and Change and LIBS 410: Case Study (Formerly ITDS 510B), and selected coursework through my Independent Study Program (ISP). Comments, suggestions and questions that arose from the ITDS 510A Literature Review committee and the LIBS 410: Case Study investigation informed the selection of the ISP courses, which would ultimately expand the framework for the final actionable Project. Established courses offered by Sonoma State University included LIBS 320B Elective Seminar Core B: Global Food Web, ENSP 442 Methods/ Models in Environmental Education, and ENSP 302 Applied Ecology. Two courses were conducted as independent studies through Sonoma State University and include LIBS 410 Designing Urban Food Systems: A Comparative Analysis of Sustainable Agriculture Systems with Permaculture Principles, and LIBS 410 Applying Agroecology & Biointensive Farming Methods to Urban Farms. The second half of the document provides a detailed overview of the final project, which has been constructed as curriculum outline for a proposed expansion of the Urban Agroecology Program within the Environmental Management and Technology Department at Merritt College in Oakland, CA. The outline of the Program, entitled Restoring Communities with Urban Agroecology (RCUA), contains a detailed description of suggested coursework followed by student learning outcomes, suggested exercises and assignments, grade assessments, and selected resources and texts to guide potential instructors. The document concludes with an assessment of the RCUA Program's significance within the field of agricultural education, limitations that may be encountered during its implementation within community colleges, and suggested methods for increasing the efficacy of the Program's potential within the community.