Indiana University Bloomington
IN-25: Innovation B

The Indiana University Sustaining Hoosier Communities initiative the forges partnerships with local communities and leaders and Indiana University’s faculty, students, and staff to improve and enrich the health, prosperity, and vitality of our region. Sustaining Hoosier Communities nurture a diversity of individuals, identities, and perspectives, and enjoy the benefits of a strong social fabric and civic engagement. These communities demonstrate a long-term commitment to their people, economic opportunities, and places. Five hundred students, representing fifteen classes are engaged in sustainability service learning projects Lawrence and Orange County. Projects are multidisciplinary and take a wholistic approach to sustainability, ranging from capital improvements to issues of health and social justice. Although this work intersects with the STARS Community Engagement category, we believe the work being done with SHC is more robust and unique than that credit represents. A sample of service learning projects include: Complete Streets: Project teams will utilize common national metrics for walkable and bicycle-friendly communities to provide a gap analysis for Bedford. Teams will also research best practices in complete streets policy and implementation and make specific recommendations for moving forward with aspects of the 2016 Bicycle and Pedestrian Master Plan. Hoosier National Forest Dark Sky Designation: To increase the number of visitors and their enjoyment of the forest, the Hoosier National Forest is pursuing Dark Sky designation for parts of the forest within Lawrence County. Light sensors—developed by IU Informatics and Computing Professor Bryce Himebaugh—will be deployed in the fall semester to generate data needed to identify accessible locations with low enough light pollution to qualify for designation. In the spring semester, students will improve the sensors and provide a report to Hoosier National Forest staff on areas suitable for Dark Sky designation. Issues of Addiction: Through a series of classes in social work and law, students will research and analyze the social and legal issues of drug use, abuse, and addiction. The classes will explore the impacts of drug use on individuals and families and will examine best practices used in other communities as models for addressing drug use issues in the Lawrence County community.

Video describing Sustaining Hoosier Communities: https://youtu.be/nn6yGMhDNvY