James Madison University
EN-10: Community Partnerships

Founded by Dr. Amy Goodall, Professor of Geography in the School of Integrated Sciences, the effort to increase pollinator gardens is collaborative between JMU and several Harrisonburg City Public Schools (HCPS). Since 2011, with administrator, teacher, and student input, Dr. Goodall's students have helped plan, design, install, and maintain school gardens. The gardens provide habitats for wildlife in urban environments. They also serve as outdoor learning environments in which JMU students and HCPS students learn together about pollinators, habitats, life-cycles, biodiversity, and ecosystems.

The program offers many opportunities for involvement by disciplines outside of science; the arts are employed for signage and communication, and students learn about health, nutrition, and well-being in the planting and harvesting of vegetables. Activities at the sites also provide inspiration for Dr. Goodall to forward her research in Citizen Science and Environmental Education.

https://www.jmu.edu/news/2022/04/21-earth-day-pitch.shtml. (Accessed 07/23/24)

In 2020 through 2023, the Institute for Innovation in Health and Human Services (IIHHS) ran the Disability-inclusive Sexual Health Network (DSHN). DSHN coordinated, supported, and funded a multidisciplinary network of Virginia-based partners to develop and test interventions that improve optimal health, prevent teen pregnancy, and address sexually transmitted infections within the key priority area of youth with disabilities. These “Innovation Partners” focused on developing and testing their own unique projects to address gaps in sexual health education for youth with disabilities.

DSHN’s Youth Advisory Board (YAB) was a group made up of youth with disabilities and youth allies who served in an advisory capacity to provide input and feedback for the Innovative Partners as they developed, tested, refined, and evaluated sexual health interventions. YAB was co-facilitated by DSHN’s Program Coordinator and a Youth Advisory Board Coordinator. YAB members consulted on and provided feedback for DSHN partners’ interventions, organized presentations on various topics made available to partners, helped plan for special projects and events, and authored content for newsletters and social media posts. In their substantial efforts, this group of youth with disabilities and youth allies provided helpful perspectives, asked intersectional questions, and ultimately enriched and grounded the work of the Network.

IIHHS has dozens of partnerships that address aspects of the Earth Charter, most of which meet the first three criteria. We are in the process of reimagining our community engagement model to more fully incorporate the voices of the impacted populations in meaningful inclusive and participatory ways for the work of IIHHS broadly, and the individual programs, specifically.

Responsible party for JMU-Harrisonburg City Public Schools Pollinator Gardens: Dr. Amy Goodall, Professor of Geography, School of Integrated Sciences. Updated February 3, 2024.

Responsible party for IIHHS information: Dr. Linda Plitt-Donaldson, Director, IIHHS. Entered by CJ Hartman, ISNW, January 29, 2024.

The IIHHS formal community partnership to advance sustainability was identified after JMU's last STARS report. This partnership engages underrepresented groups and/or vulnerable populations as equal partners.