Institutions of higher education have an obvious vested interest in building strong relationships with the communities that surround their campuses. They do not have the option of relocating and thus are of necessity place-based anchors. While corporations, businesses, and residents often flee from economically depressed low-income urban and suburban edge-city neighborhoods, universities remain. At a time when foundations that help establish community-based projects are commonly unable to continue with ongoing involvement over long periods of time, universities can play an important role. Read more about University & Community Partnerships...
The mission of the University of Buffalo's Community Linked Interdisciplinary Research Program is to offer undergraduates an opportunity to conduct community research, drawing from the needs of the Western New York community and the expertise of faculty at the University of Buffalo. Courses and research can range from "Slavery and the Underground Railroad" to "Analytical Chemistry of Pollutants" to "Neighborhood Research." Read more about University of Buffalo, Community Linked Interdisciplinary Research Program - ENDED...
Claiming the title of the only center for urban sustainability in the United States, the Center for Sustainable Communities and Civic Engagement partners students from Daemen College with community-based organizations, businesses and government entities that have the primary goal of developing active, livable neighborhoods in the City of Buffalo. Read more about Daemen College, Center for Sustainable Communities and Civic Engagement...
SUNY Buffalo State is using its resources and its Civic & Community Engagement initiative established community infrastructure to help improve local communities and build stronger relationships by integrating service-learning into the Buffalo State curriculum. The University has identified seven specific projects that would best utilize its resources, including assisting in micro-enterprise support and developing a Community Cultural Center. Read more about SUNY Buffalo State and Civic & Community Engagement...
Founded in 1972 to extend the University’s land grant mission by focusing on public and community service in urban areas and providing a liberal arts education with training for professional careers, the College of Public and Community Service includes programs that provide opportunities for field work and work experience. Read more about University of Massachusetts, Boston, College of Public and Community Service...
Promoting civic engagement and partnerships between the students, faculty, and staff of MIT@Lawrence and Lawrence community residents and organizations, MIT@Lawrence promotes locally-led collective asset-building projects and research in three areas: affordable housing production; asset building as a economic and community development strategy; and youth pathways to education, careers, and community. Read more about MIT@Lawrence...
Based on Tufts Medford/Somerville campus, Jonathan M. Tisch College of Citizenship and Public Service supports faculty research in the area of civic engagement, partners to help the needs of local non-profits, and is active promoting stronger, healthier, and safer communities within the Medford, Somerville, Boston’s Chinatown and Graton neighborhoods. Providing a supplementary education to students at Tuft’s seven schools, Tisch College engages student through many different civic programs and projects. Read more about Jonathan M. Tisch College of Citizenship and Public Service...
The Institute for Community, University and School Partnerships (ICUSP) was established to promote academic achievement and child well-being in central Texas by bringing together resources from the local community, the University of Texas, and local schools. COBRA (Community of Brothers in Revolutionary Alliance) is a mentoring program for high school boys while VOICES (Verbally Outspoken Individuals Creating Empowered Sisters) is an academic leadership program for high school girls.
The Center for Sustainable Development was started in 2001 to advance the University of Texas’ interest in promoting sustainable development and project based understanding of the connections between the environment, economic prosperity, and social justice. Through its public interest design courses, the Center seeks to address individual and community-scale issues such as the built environment’s effect on social and economic well-being. Promoting equity as a necessary component of sustainability, the program seeks to contribute to the larger national discussion about how public interest design might be interwoven into architecture curricula to impact positively larger social problems.
A collaboration of three groups — the Austin Community Design and Development Center (ACDDC), the Guadalupe Neighborhood Development Corporation, and the University of Texas Center for Sustainable Development—the Alley Flat Initiative has designed and built 12 flats in the city. Accessed from Austin’s extensive network of underutilized alleys, "Alley Flats" are small, detached residential units that seek to create affordable housing through efficient designs, sustainable technologies and innovative home ownership financing. The Alley Flat Initiative won the Envision Central Texas Community Stewardship Award for Redevelopment in both 2009 and 2011.
Spelman College's Bonner Office of Community Service runs a Civic Engagement Fellows Program supports the education of students who have an interest and commitment to engage in sustained social change efforts and runs a community service oriented “alternative spring break” program. Read more about Spelman College, Bonner Office of Community Service and Student Development...
Morehouse College's Bonner Office of Community Service aims to support student community service work and support faculty members who incorporate service learning into their curriculum. The center provides a forum for faculty to present their service learning projects to the college community and also provides a forum for community groups working with to make presentations of their work to the Morehouse College community. Read more about Morehouse College, Bonner Office of Community Service...
Emory's Office of University Community Partnerships aims to facilitate the connection of community groups, organizations and agencies to the university's faculty, staff, and students. Its efforts have included developing a database of community organizations and its flagship Kenneth Cole Fellowship in Community Building and Social Change program. To date, Emory fellows have completed 17 collaborative community-building projects in the Atlanta area. Their work has helped change policies to encourage affordable housing and mixed-use, mixed-income development. Read more about Emory, Office of University Community Partnerships...
Darlyne Bailey, Kelley McNally Koney, Katrina Uhly, University Northside Parntership Workgroup Leadership, Titilayo Bediako, Marilyn Burin, Joel Hetler, Helen Kivnick, Anise McDowell, Barbara Milon, Beverly Propes and Makeda Zulu-Gillespie
