ECHO Studio Illustrative Case Study

Following One Project from Beginning to End

Illustrative Example

The following case study demonstrates how an ECHO Studio collaboration might unfold over two academic semesters. The Moses West Foundation is used as an illustrative example to show how universities, faculty, students, practitioners, and community organizations collaborate through the ECHO Studio Program Framework.

Discovering, Investigating, and Understanding

Stage 1 — Faculty Partnership

Several faculty members independently decide to participate in ECHO Studio. 

• • • An Engineering professor is teaching water systems.

    • An Environmental Science professor is teaching sustainability.

    • A Public Policy professor is teaching municipal infrastructure.

    • A Communications professor is teaching strategic communication.

    • A Documentary Film professor is teaching visual storytelling.

Each professor continues teaching the course exactly as described in their syllabi. Nothing about their curriculum changes. 

Students simply complete an ECHO Student Profile describing their academic interests, current assignments, career goals, and areas of curiosity.

Stage 2 — Project Discovery

At the same time, organizations within the ECHO Collaboration Network — including nonprofit organizations, businesses, research institutions, and community initiatives — have already established collaborative relationships with ECHO Studio and completed organizational profiles describing their work, expertise, and willingness to participate in future educational collaborations.

Using information voluntarily provided by students, faculty, and participating organizations, ECHO identifies promising interdisciplinary opportunities that naturally align with existing coursework. 

- Several student assignments focus on water security.

- The Moses West Foundation also focuses on water security.

ECHO recommends a collaboration. Faculty review the recommendation and determine that it strengthens — not replaces — the educational objectives of their respective courses. The collaboration is approved.

Stage 3 — Building the Teams

ECHO prepares an interdisciplinary Core Research Team composed of students representing:

• • • Engineering

    • Environmental Science

    • Public Policy

    • Business

    • Communications

At the same time, a Knowledge Translation Team begins participating from disciplines such as:

• • • Documentary Film

    • Journalism

    • Graphic Design

    • Web Development

    • Digital Media

    • Marketing

    • Education

    • Photography

Although both teams study the same organization, each investigates it from a different perspective.

Two Parallel Investigations

The Core Research Team asks:

• How does this organization solve the problem?

• Why has it succeeded?

• What technical, scientific, economic, and policy principles explain its work?

• Which lessons could benefit other communities?

The Knowledge Translation Team asks:

• How is the organization's work currently communicated?

• Who understands it?

• Who does not?

• Which audiences remain underserved?

• What educational resources already exist?

• What communication barriers limit broader adoption?

• How might this knowledge become more accessible?

Rather than waiting until research is complete, both teams contribute meaningful investigation throughout the semester.

Stage 4 — Research and Practitioner Engagement

The Core Research Team studies:

• • • atmospheric water generation

    • engineering

    • public policy

    • environmental impact

    • nonprofit leadership

    • implementation plans and strategies

Meanwhile, the Knowledge Translation Team conducts a communication audit. Students evaluate:

• the Foundation's website

• public presentations

• media coverage

• educational resources

• visual communication

• social media

• messaging

• audience accessibility

Both teams begin identifying questions that cannot be answered through published information alone.

Stage 5 — Applied Learning

Students now engage directly with the Moses West Foundation. Through interviews, site visits, demonstrations, and conversations, both teams deepen their understanding. The Core Research Team explores technical and organizational questions. 

The Knowledge Translation Team investigates communication questions, such as:

• Which audiences have been hardest to reach?

• What misconceptions exist?

• Which educational resources are still needed?

• What stories have been most effective?

• What communication challenges remain unresolved?

Research and communication begin informing one another.

Stage 6 — Round Table Discussion

With support from the ECHO Studio Collaboration Network, students organize an interdisciplinary Round Table Discussion that brings together individuals from a range of professional, academic, civic, and community backgrounds. Participants may include: 

• • • Foundation representatives

    • Engineers

    • Environmental scientists

    • Public officials

    • Educators

    • Nonprofit leaders

    • Communications professionals

    • Faculty

    • Students

Rather than debating conclusions, participants collaboratively explore the students' questions. Ideas that might otherwise take years to mature through separate publications evolve together through real-time dialogue. Both student teams leave with a richer understanding of the organization and its opportunities.

Stage 7 — Knowledge Integration

Students return to their research — some conclusions are confirmed while others are revised. New questions might also emerge. The Core Research Team completes its interdisciplinary investigation. The Knowledge Translation Team completes its communication research and identifies opportunities to strengthen public understanding of the Foundation's work. Together, the two teams prepare a comprehensive Communication Brief that includes:

• • • research findings

    • audience analysis

    • communication gaps

    • recommended media

    • educational opportunities

    • production priorities

    • implementation recommendations

This concludes Semester One.

Translating Knowledge into Community Resources

Building upon the Communication Brief prepared during Semester One, the Knowledge Translation Team begins producing public-facing resources.

Depending on the needs identified during the investigation, students may produce:

• documentary films

• podcasts

• educational curriculum

• websites

• policy briefs

• public presentations

• implementation guides

• graphic resources

• interactive media

• journalism

• social media campaigns

These resources are designed not simply to communicate information, but to address the communication gaps identified during the research itself.

The Continuing Role of the Core Research Team

Although their primary investigation has concluded, the Core Research Team remains actively involved throughout production.

Students now serve as:

• • • clients

    • subject-matter experts

    • research advisors

    • accuracy reviewers

They ensure that every public resource faithfully represents the investigation while continuing to monitor new developments, answer questions from the production team, and identify opportunities for future research.

Rather than ending with the completion of the investigation, the research continues informing the public communication process until every resource is finalized.

Project Completion

When production is complete, the finished resources are shared with the audiences most capable of benefiting from them.

These may include:

• • • educators

    • municipalities

    • nonprofit organizations

    • researchers

    • policymakers

    • emergency management agencies

    • community organizations

    • future student cohorts

    • the public (entrepreneurs, homesteaders, individuals at any level)

The project concludes.

Beyond the Classroom

The project's academic requirements have now been fulfilled. The students return to their own academic pathways. The organizations continue serving their communities. Faculty continue teaching their courses. But the knowledge created through the collaboration does not end.

The completed investigation becomes part of the growing ECHO Collaboration Network, where future students, educators, researchers, organizations, and communities can continue learning from it.

Years later, another Core Research Team may revisit the Moses West Foundation to examine new developments, evaluate long-term outcomes, compare similar organizations, or investigate new questions that have emerged since the original project.

In this way, each ECHO Studio collaboration becomes more than a semester-long assignment. It becomes a lasting contribution to a growing ecosystem of shared knowledge, allowing future investigations to build upon previous work rather than beginning again from the start.