Micaela Lipman

Work Highlights

In partnership with Urban Roots Community Garden Center and Jericho Road, a refugee resettlement agency, this fellow worked to institutionalize sustainable community gardens and apply a model of a collaborative refugee community gardening by expanding access and technical assistance to refugees and their families for growing their traditional foods on cooperatively managed plots in Buffalo neighborhoods.

Student Insights

Buffalo is in a very unique position in that remnants of the past haven’t been destroyed and so renovation plays a much larger part in economic development than in other cities.  Arts and architecture are very deeply rooted that if Buffalo focuses on developing these assets while reevaluating its flawed infrastructure, the city can really have a second coming.  This potential is felt in all corners of the city leaving an air of excitement and a pension for positive change that’s really refreshing to live within.   

Impact

So many individuals I met have had extremely inspiring pasts from which I was able to learn a lot.  The relationships I developed with community members this summer really made the past 8 weeks ones I will never forget.