Pando Days projects get ready to premiere!

Zehra Baneen Rizvi previewing part of the USC Pando Days project presentation addressing LA County Goal #2: Buildings and Shelter.


Pando Days projects get ready to premiere!

By   |  Nov. 23, 2021

Pando Days wraps up its 2021 season with online premiere events December 6-9 with ten Southland colleges and universities showcasing the projects they’ve developed in dedicated courses, studios, or labs over the fall term to implement LA County’s sustainability plan. 

And you are invited to the premiere presentations of their work. Register now!

“USC’s project for Pando Days is just one example of the kind of amazing projects that are in this year’s pipeline,” says co-executive producer Judith Parker.  

“Though, frankly, USC’s isn’t quite a single project, but more a project of fascinating projects — collected under the USC umbrella.”

Five different USC teams have been at work on the school’s single Pando Days submission – all focusing on Skid Row. Each of the USC teams explores the challenge from a different angle. 

Two-thirds of the way into the fall term, in pouring rain under a canvas tent, thirty-six USC graduate students, six faculty members and twelve guests assembled for a sneak preview of the presentations.  A forty-page booklet documents their progress.  

Nina Weithorn presenting at USC sneak preview of upcoming Pando Days presentation.

It was a preview of the excellence you’ll see from all of the Pando Days colleges and universities at the premiere events.

This year’s Pando Days projects focus on any of four sustainability categories:  transportation, shelter, community, and open call/food. Consulting partners from public agencies and civil society frame each category and advise project teams during the development period.  

At the premiere events, each school will have ten minutes to present its project followed by a five-minute Q&A with a member of the CSO Taskforce.  Consulting partners will provide context.

Premiere recordings will be reviewed by a panel of judges.  They will award first, second and third prizes to winning projects at our January Finale online.   

The projects you’ll see showcased at the premieres are sure to inspire new ways of thinking and real-world solutions.  

The premiere schedule is as follows: 

Transportation Category: Monday, Dec. 6 at 1 PM. 

Los Angeles County is itself the consulting partner for transportation, focusing efforts on community engagement in the City of Cudahy.  

Shelter Category: Tuesday, Dec. 7 at 1 PM. 

The City of Los Angeles is the consulting partner for our shelter category and focuses on Skid Row.  

Community Category: Wednesday, Dec. 8 at 1 PM.  

Pico Union Housing Corporation, an NGO in South LA, is partner for the community category.  

Open Call/Food Category: Thursday, Dec. 9 at 1 PM. 

The CSO (Chief Sustainability Officer) Taskforce is the open call partner, which this year focuses on food. 

REGISTER NOW to join us!  It’s going to be a very exciting premiere week. 

Members of the Pando writing team include Rich Binell, Alexi Caracotsios, Amy Goldberg, Rebecca Schmitt, and Eugene Shirley.