Cal Poly Humboldt
EN-10: Community Partnerships

The SLRI formed as a partnership between Cal Poly Humboldt and the Humboldt community in 2018. We take inspiration from the model of civic science, which “weaves together science, story, and community” 4 to address key issues of our time. Our membership includes representatives from academic institutions, tribes, government agencies, NGOs, the private sector, and civic and community groups in the region. Undergraduate and graduate students play a key role in the governance and activities of the institute, helping us to build student capacity to address SLR and climate change. The leadership committee includes representatives from all these sectors: https://humboldtslri.org/committee/

Projects to date include: Research, Assessment, Planning, Grants, Feasibility Studies, Modeling, and Symposiums. https://humboldtslri.org/slri-projects/

Two projects are outlined in full here and include the Humboldt Bay Symposium and the Humboldt Sea Level Rise Public Forum: https://humboldtslri.org/activities/

Wigi** or Humboldt Bay is experiencing the fastest rate of relative sea-level rise (SLR) on the U.S. West Coast.2 Portions of residential, agricultural, and ecologically and culturally significant lands surrounding the Bay already flood during king tide conditions. Sea level in Humboldt Bay is projected to rise as much as three feet by 2060, which could lead to severe social, cultural, economic, and environmental consequences without an effective adaptive response. Other coastal areas in the North Coast region face similar risks. Despite these risks, SLR also presents our region with an opportunity to work together and envision a more just and sustainable future.
**1 Wigi is the Wiyot place name for Humboldt Bay which is in the ancestral territory of the Wiyot people. Descendants of the Wiyot people are represented in several local tribes including: the Wiyot Tribe, Blue Lake Rancheria, and Bear River Rancheria.

In 2022, Cal Poly Humboldt's Center for Community Based Learning applied for the Governor's Californians for All College Corps grant and was awarded a $1.5 million grant. The focus of the grant is providing 100 College students, from both College of the Redwoods and Cal Poly Humboldt 450 hour paid fellowships, funded through the grant and hosted by local nonprofit partners. The program runs for 2 years and provides for 100 high level fellowship opportunities and 45,000 hours of service to local nonprofits each year.

Cal Poly Humboldt Staff worked closely with the staff from the College of the Redwoods and key partners in the community to conceptualize and submit the grant application and implement the grant once it was awarded. Fellowships and nonprofit partnerships focus on 3 key areas: Sustainability, Education and Food Insecurity.

During the Academic Year 2022-2023, more than 80 fellowships have already been established and our students are serving at 30 nonprofits including the Arcata Veterans Center, City of Eureka, Friends of the Dunes, Zero Waste Humboldt, North Coast Growers Association, Community Food Council, Big Brothers Big Sisters, and Westside Community Improvement Association.

Cal Poly Humboldt provides grant support, budget support, office space, technology, marketing and other services to support the grant and the partnerships. For further information: https://ccbl.humboldt.edu/collegecorps

https://www.californiavolunteers.ca.gov/californiansforall-college-corps/

Established in 2017, Equity Arcata is a partnership between the City of Arcata, Humboldt State University, local businesses and nonprofits who are working to make Arcata a more welcoming, safe and racially equitable community. The group is working to eliminate racial disparities for all people of color in housing, health, education and employment. Volunteer working groups aim to support community issues and create strategies to help increase housing equity, foster communications between law enforcement and students, develop equity communication and education outreach, expand diversity and inclusion training our community, local businesses and in tk-12 schools, develop a community bias reporting tool, a community response team and create events to bring our community together. This program advances discussion on issues deeply tied to intersections of environmental, social, and economic dimensions by way of topics like basic needs, land theft, reparations, and other issues of extractive supremacist ideology.

Initiatives include:
-Create a diversity and inclusion awareness campaign.
-Launch a series of KHSU public service announcements.
-Address housing equity.
-Build stronger relationships between police and students.
-Continue to expand diversity and inclusion training.
-Create a bias response system with real accountability.
-Create a website with community resources and updates on these initiatives.

Partners in this effort include Humboldt State University, Equity Alliance of the North Coast, Arcata Chamber of Commerce, Northern Humboldt Union High School District, Humboldt County Office of Education, City of Arcata, and AA1A Senior Corps.

Cal Poly Humboldt has been an integral partner offering staff support from leaders on campus, including Office of Diversity, Equity and Inclusion Staff, faculty from the Department of Social Work, Political Science, etc..., and the Campus Police Chief, among other participants in various workshops, discussions, social activities like potlucks, and working groups.

Read more at https://www.equityarcata.com/