Open Roads Institute

Open Roads Institute (ORI) is dedicated to the integration and wholistic development of the economy, environment and community.

Services

ORI works with foundations, government agencies, non-profits, and entrepreneurs to create sustainable communities. Our core practice areas are:

Local Food Systems
ORI adds value by assessing how urban agriculture and local food projects impact community-based economic development.

Education for Sustainability
ORI partners with community-based groups to develop, document and evaluate programs that create unique educational experiences for youth and their families.

What We Do

Open Roads Institute (ORI) works to improve the quality of urban life by providing research and strategic consulting services to organizations that build community. Our goal is to help businesses, government and civic institutions form partnerships that address a multitude of complex issues. We also provide advisory services to clients interested in achieving and documenting triple bottom line returns (economic, social, and environmental).

Blog Posts

Cultivating Community in American Schools

A recently published study concluded that public schools in the U.S. are more segregated now than they were at the time of Brown v. Board of Education. In the introduction of Reviving the Goal of an Integrated Society: A 21st Century Challenge, the author states that "millions of nonwhite students are locked into… Continue

Posted by Michael S. Easterling on February 2, 2010 at 5:13am

Featured Resource

The Food, Inc. teacher's guide is a companion to the recent documentary that takes a critical look at the industrialization of our country's food supply. The 102-page guide provides questions and activities about the film's themes, including health, sustainability, animal welfare, and workers' rights. It is designed to help high school students make more thoughtful choices about food and participate in a meaningful dialogue about food and food systems.