ENVS 150: Soil Science & Sustainability

Reflection on Integrating Community Engagement into Academic Career: 3-stage Action Plan

As a faculty member in Environmental Studies, I focus on building partnerships that connect soil science with real-world community challenges. One of the community-related issues I’ve been working on is the need for climate-resilient farming strategies and equitable access to sustainable food systems in underserved neighborhoods. I have partnered with Three Sisters Gardens, an urban farming nonprofit in West Sacramento, to evaluate sustainable agriculture practices that enhance urban soil health and support food justice. This partnership addresses environmental degradation and disconnection between science and community-based agricultural solutions.

In the next two years, I plan to: (1) finalize our "soil health with biochar and compost" pilot study and submit a joint grant application with Three Sisters Gardens to expand long-term soil health monitoring; (2) create internship and research opportunities for students through ENVS 150 and independent study experiences in the Environmental Studies department; and (3) co-develop outreach materials with community partners to support local education on compost, biochar, and regenerative practices. Action steps include organizing field demonstrations, finishing data collection and analysis, and aligning course-based projects with community research.

I anticipate that this work will result in a growing, community-generated dataset that tracks the responses of soil health to sustainable agricultural practices, improved educational opportunities for Sac State students, and strengthened collaboration between the university, urban farmers, and local agricultural communities. These outcomes will provide a replicable model for integrating student learning with community-based research in ways that are collaborative, reciprocal, and environmentally impactful.

See attached 3-stage action plan document.

Action Plan Examples
Example 1	Example 2	Example 3
My 3-stage action plan for community-engaged research with Three Sisters Gardens: Linking soil science research with student learning and local urban agriculture. 3-stage Action Plan	A grant opportunity to co-develop a research and educational outreach proposal with Three Sisters Gardens. We will expand the pilot soil study through community-based fieldwork and nutrient management.	As part of a redesigned course structure, students participated in a site visit to Three Sisters Gardens where they applied classroom knowledge to real-world soil management practices.

Moving Forward

The Faculty Learning Community helped me clarify how to frame my community-based research not only as service but as a long-term academic and pedagogical commitment. Moving forward, I will continue building my partnership with Three Sisters Gardens as a core component of my teaching and research in ENVS 150. The FLC encouraged me to integrate student learning outcomes into applied, place-based projects - ensuring that students not only learn scientific methods, but also see their relevance in addressing real community challenges. I plan to create a formalized pathway for student internships and research involvement, especially for those interested in agroecology, soil science, and environmental justice. Ultimately, I see this work contributing to a more inclusive model of community-engaged science.

Faculty Biography
Faculty Picture	About me:
	Dr. Si Gao is an Assistant Professor in the Department of Environmental Studies. She is a soil ecologist whose work focuses on understanding how land management practices influence soil health and functions. Courses Dr. Gao currently teaches at Sac State include ENVS 10 Introduction to Environmental Science, ENVS 149 Agroecology, and ENVS 150 Soil Science & Sustainability. Her current research broadly includes sustainable agriculture and fire on soil organic matter persistence, soil nutrient dynamics, and climate mitigation potential.

This work was supported by the Community Engagement Center, the Career Center, and the Anchor/Community-Engaged University Collaborative

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