A Successful Wesley College Environmental Science and City of Dover Collaboration; A Student Perspective.

Collaborations offer the opportunity for various organizations and agencies to work together on common projects. From this experience a challenging problem is resolved and a valuable partnership is formed. This partnership can help stakeholders accomplish current and future tasks as well as strengthen planned outcomes. The purpose of the collaboration between the Environmental Studies Program at Wesley College and the City of Dover, Office of Planning was established to solve current shortcomings faced by the City, to broaden internship experiences for the students of the Environmental Studies department and to create a long-term partnership. The major focus of this collaboration has been on the City's National Pollutant Discharge Elimination System (NPDES) permit and a pilot land development project using the planning geographic information systems (GIS) software CommunityViz. In the fall of 2011, solutions to the City's Notice of Violation (NOV) were brainstormed. During summer 2012, work began on the land development project. GIS data layers for CommunityViz were secured and city codes and land development restrictions were reviewed. New alternatives to land development were discussed with the Director of Planning and ideas for CommunityViz were conceptualized. The NOV has been updated and the current NPDES permit has been submitted. For the new NPDES permit, community workshops have been developed and offered, fact sheets created, children's environmental reading time scheduled and an environmental lecture series planned. CommunityViz simulations revealed that alternative planning approaches could be easily incorporated into the analysis. Final analysis scenarios will be presented to the City and the software will be considered as a diagnostic tool in their planning process. Through these challenges and experiences, Wesley College and the City of Dover have been able to work together to arrive at new solutions to everyday problems, allowing both departments to grow independently and strengthen their efforts for collaboration for the future.