| Overall Rating | Silver |
|---|---|
| Overall Score | 53.99 |
| Liaison | Amy Parrish |
| Submission Date | Feb. 19, 2025 |
Boise State University
EN-6: Community Partnerships
| Status | Score | Responsible Party |
|---|---|---|
|
7.00 / 9.00 |
6.1 Sustainability-focused community partnerships
Narrative and/or website URL providing an overview of the institution’s sustainability-focused community partnerships:
A comprehensive list of Boise State's Service-Learning Community Partners can be found here: https://www.boisestate.edu/servicelearning/agencies/current-community-partners/
Boise State University activity partners with the following sustainability-focused missions:
Dept of Fish and Game: https://idfg.idaho.gov
Boise Parks and Rec: https://www.cityofboise.org/departments/parks-and-recreation/
City of Boise Open Spaces: https://www.cityofboise.org/departments/parks-and-recreation/open-space/
City of Boise Climate Action Division: https://www.cityofboise.org/programs/climate-action/
Jim Hall Foothills Learning Center: https://www.cityofboise.org/departments/parks-and-recreation/facilities/jim-hall-foothills-learning-center/
Bogus Basin: https://bogusbasin.org
Boise Urban Garden School: https://www.boiseurbangardenschool.org
Boise Bicycle Project: https://www.boisebicycleproject.org
Idaho Bird Observatory: https://www.boisestate.edu/ibo/
Intermountain Bird Observatory, Diane Moore Nature Center: https://www.boisestate.edu/ibo/river/
Sierra Club: https://www.sierraclub.org/idaho
Valley Regional Transit: https://www.valleyregionaltransit.org
The Reporting Tool will automatically calculate the following figure:
6.2 Partnerships to support underrepresented groups and vulnerable populations
Description of the institution’s community partnerships to support underrepresented groups and/or vulnerable populations in addressing sustainability challenges:
The Boise Bicycle Project. "We are a community-focused nonprofit that promotes the personal, social, and environmental benefits of bicycling. Through inclusive access to refurbished bicycles, repair, educational experiences, and advocacy, we strive to build a stronger bicycling community"." The Boise Bike Project particularly aims to support underrepresented groups and/or vulnerable populations in addressing the sustainability challenges through their "Welcome to Boise! Every Kid on a Bike!" program which aims to provide bikes for vulnerable children, particularly to New Americans (children arriving as refugees).
https://www.boisebicycleproject.org/bbpexperience/2019/4/16/welcome-to-boise-every-kid-on-a-bike
The Reporting Tool will automatically calculate the following figure:
6.3 Community partnership assessment
Publication that includes the community partnership guidelines:
Online resource that includes the institution’s community partnership guidelines:
Are all of the institution’s community partnerships for sustainability subject to an assessment process that includes joint evaluation by the institution and its community partners?:
Description of the institution’s approach to community partnership assessment and how the results are used to improve reciprocity and mutual benefit:
Key Elements of Partnership
1. Building Meaningful and Reciprocal Partnerships
Successful service-learning partnerships are mutually beneficial and based on reciprocity. Boise State faculty, staff, and students prioritize intentional relationship-building that supports community needs while enhancing student learning. Active listening ensures partnerships align with real-world challenges and contribute to shared knowledge and solutions.
What We Can Do Together:
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Consider and discuss opportunities, limitations, and needs during the project design stage.
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Define clear roles for students to maximize their impact and opportunity to learn.
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Utilize opportunities for feedback to improve collaboration.
2. Leveraging Strengths and Resources to Support Your Organization
Your expertise and leadership are central to service-learning. Our goal is to connect you with valuable university resources, including access to student outreach, student volunteers, faculty research, and other areas of experiential learning. By leveraging these assets, we hope to enhance organizational capacity so you can stay focused on your mission.
What We Can Do Together:
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Identify course matches that complement your needs, bandwidth, and goals.
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Incorporate inherent student skillsets like peer-outreach, program evaluation, and social media marketing.
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Explore additional university resources such as internships, professional development workshops, or grant-writing support.
3. Committing to Growth and Long-Term Impact
Community impact extends beyond a semester, of course, and we are committed to sustaining partnerships that align with long-term organizational goals. We embrace a growth mindset, learning from experience and refining service-learning strategies to ensure success. Thinking and acting with a long-term focus will maximize the opportunities for learning for students and impact for your organization.
What We Can Do Together:
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Strive for multi-semester service-learning relationships with instructors, courses, or programs to build continuity and lower the required investment in partnership.
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Work with instructors to improve service-learning outcomes through coordination on needs, revising project design, and communication.
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Explore long-term collaborations such as internships or faculty research partnerships.
The Reporting Tool will automatically calculate the following figure:
Optional documentation
Additional documentation for this credit:
The information presented here is self-reported. While AASHE staff review portions of all STARS reports and institutions are welcome to seek additional forms of review, the data in STARS reports are not verified by AASHE. If you believe any of this information is erroneous or inconsistent with credit criteria, please review the process for inquiring about the information reported by an institution or simply email your inquiry to stars@aashe.org.