A Model Framework for Integrating Bi-national Community-Engaged, Culturally Responsive Partnerships into Sustainability Education

Solving today’s environmental challenges requires interdisciplinary collaboration, cultural understanding, and community engagement. We present a model framework designed to integrate these critical elements into sustainability-focused education, tested through immersive projects in the U.S.-Mexico borderlands. This framework connects students with real-world challenges, empowering them to co-create actionable, community-driven solutions.

The model framework consists of three core components:

• Interdisciplinary Teamwork: Students collaborate across disciplines to analyze sites, develop master plans, and design context-specific solutions.
• Cross-Cultural Learning: Through site visits, shared projects, and dialogue, students deepen their understanding of how social, economic, political, and environmental factors shape sustainability decision-making.
• Civic Engagement: Partnerships with local organizations and community members ensure that student designs align with lived experiences, priorities, and pressing local challenges.

This model framework emphasizes cultural responsiveness, teamwork, and real-world application, preparing students to address complex environmental challenges with creativity and inclusivity. By adopting this framework, educators can foster interdisciplinary collaboration, enhance cultural understanding, and strengthen community connections within environmental and geoscience education.