ABSTRACT
This chapter presents a case study of the Electric Greening Project in North Hollywood, a suburban Los Angeles community in the San Fernando Valley, located in the northwestern part of the city. It describes California State University’s commitment to and funding for community-based courses, the department’s actions to develop community service across its curriculum in conjunction with the university’s Center for Community Service-Learning, and the role of the environmental design educator in involving planning students in the process of civic engagement as preparation for professional life. Northridge president Blenda Wilson, who had joined Campus Compact, a national organization of college presidents committed to supporting service-learning and civic engagement on their campuses, appointed journalism professor Maureen Rubin and political science professor Stella Theodoulou to represent the campus. As a result of the course, the Electric Greening Project gained momentum locally and on campus.
