UGA's Melcher tasks landscape design students with community-based projects

EDITOR'S NOTE: This full article originally comes from UGA Today and can be read in full on its website.

Since 2020, Katherine Melcher has taught the Community Engagement Studio in the landscape architecture program in the College of Environment and Design.

During this time, she transformed the course into the Community Landscape Lab, where students lead design projects that serve local communities.

“One of my main goals for students in the studio is for them to learn the ‘soft skills’ critical for a successful landscape architecture practice, such as active listening, empathy, deliberation and communication. And the way to learn soft skills is through experience and practice,” she said. “It is very rewarding to see students develop into compassionate leaders as they work directly with their community partners.”