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

Core Protocols

A friend recently alerted me to this excellent resource for how any random group of people to deliver genius-quality work on demand. Software for Your Head: Core Protocols for Creating and Maintaining a Shared Vision, by Jim… Continue

Posted by Andrew Heinrich on February 18, 2010 at 2:30pm

Creating a Mindset for Change

There are many of us working, in various ways, to build “sustainable communities”. A wide range of influences including what we do for a living, where and how we live, and our own personal beliefs determine our definition of what that actually means. These influences are regulated by our values, which shape our perception. Our perception is at the core of how we see the world and our role in it.

Can we change the systems that g

… Continue

Posted by Michael S. Easterling on February 17, 2010 at 12:00pm

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.