Supporting Communities

In C2R2, students not only build the skills needed to address real-world resilience issues, but they also apply these skills to support local communities. In doing so, students provide expertise to communities that may not otherwise be accessible due to local budget or time constraints.

Studio Workshops

After completing a series of theory based courses, students participate in an experiential course, the studio workshop. The studio workshop pairs students with a client (such as a coastal community) to assess the risks posed to the client by climate change and strategies for managing that risk. Two examples of how students collaborated with NJ municipalities as part of this program can be seen in the following reports: Recommendations to Perth Amboy, NJ and Assisting the State, Keansburg, and Atlantic Highlands with Plan Endorsement

Climate Resilience Corps

Building upon the success of the studio courses, the C2R2 program in collaboration with the NJ Climate Change Resource Center have recently developed the Climate Resilience Corps. Individual graduate students who have received the Rutgers’ C2R2 certificate will be matched with municipalities looking to develop or upgrade their municipal resilience plans but are in need of expertise in areas such as quantitative data and statistical analyses, GIS, examination of existing planning documents to assess current planning efforts in light of future climate and environmental conditions, review of current built and natural systems and envisioning alternative designs that enhance resilience, and assessment of socioeconomic impacts of various alternatives.