Pando Days is a program that brings together educators from the arts, humanities, sciences, and communications to tackle some of the biggest challenges facing LA County. And asks them to inspire each other. And their students. And Angelenos. And the world. With ingenious new solutions and plans.
Pando Days creates collaboration between higher education, public sectors, and business to help advance the Sustainable Development Goals in our region. Collaborating higher educational institutions dedicate full courses, studios, or labs to developing ingenious solutions that promote a more vital and resilient Southland.
We support their work with curricular resources, faculty support, and extensive applied-learning resources of a kind that would be difficult for a college/university instructor to gather for their projects on their own.
End-of-project deliverables combine innovation with practicality for on-the-ground engagement and local community improvement. Projects are showcased at premiere events and a judged finale. We award cash prizes and facilitate the connections needed to help push promising ideas forward.
Projects range from edible salt-water gardens to artificial intelligence algorithms addressing homeless needs. From biodiversity solutions at the treetop level to green transportation in disadvantaged areas.
Like to see the impact we’re having? Go here.
How it works
Our season begins every year in the spring with outreach to fifty-some colleges, universities, and professional schools throughout the Southland.
Instructors from across departments and disciplines apply for the opportunity to enroll their fall-term courses, studios, or labs in the Pando Days program.
We provide a full curricular framework and a broad range of resources, including a Pando Fellowship opportunity for course instructors and honoraria. The program is provided free of charge.
See Overview deck below for a full description of the program, timeline, and events. College and university instructors, see Instructor’s deck for additional information on curricular resources. Pando Days Subscribing Members, see Sponsor’s deck for information on how you can get involved advising and mentoring school teams.
Pando Days began in 2019 with the aim of focusing Southland colleges and universities on the challenge of creating a more resilient region, as articulated by the OurCounty plan for Los Angeles County.
Since that time, Pando Days has accelerated the development of more than two dozen new sustainability initiatives across the Southland. And, it is making a serious impact.
Four projects from the 2019-20 season were picked up by outside funders, including Google and Mellon. Six from 2021 are currently in discussion with public agencies and NGO partners.
Pando Days empowers teachers and students to use their intellectual and creative assets to build the future they want to inhabit, and gives them tools to do it. It grounds civil discourse in civic engagement.
Pando Days is produced in consultation with former Los Angeles County Chief Sustainability Officer Gary Gero and in collaboration with the CSO (Chief Sustainability Officer) Taskforce.
Participating schools
Pando Days seasons
Pando Days ’23
2023 Season
Pando Days ’23 brings together colleges and universities from across the Southland to solve local sustainability challenges.
Pando Days ’22
2022 Season
Pando Days ’22 brings 15 colleges and universities together to create a more sustainable region.
Pando Days ’21
2021 Season
Ten of the most creative college and university minds take on four challenges within the LA County sustainability plan.
Pando Days 2019-20
2019-20 Season
Southland colleges and universities come together with courses, studios, and labs to build County sustainability.
Selected blog posts
Thank you!
Pando Days was launched in collaboration with the CSO Taskforce for LA County. The initial years of program development were made possible in part by The Conrad N. Hilton Foundation. (Go here to see Pando Days sponsors for 2022.)
