Macalester College
EN-10: Community Partnerships

The community engagement center (CEC) at Macalester works hard to promote long-term relationships with local community partners. Through the CEC, Macalester students have worked with environmental organizations in the Twin Cities to engage in ecological restoration projects, urban farming opportunities and more. The center also runs the Bonner Scholars program- a program that focuses upon ensuring the success of first-generation college students and students from disadvantaged backgrounds. The program helps run programs that place bonner scholars (and other Macalester students) in volunteer and internship opportunities throughout the region. A list of organizations that Macalester partners with through the Civic Engagement Center can be found here: https://www.macalester.edu/cec/engagementopportunities/#environment-sustainability. Through these partnerships, students volunteer (long or short term) and build relationships with community members.

The High Winds Fund exists for the sole purpose of maintaining and improving the beauty, serenity, and security of the area surrounding the campus of Macalester College.The High Winds fund is a property endowment established by Macalester College decades ago. Today, a small staff manages the High Winds Fund. The High Winds fund manages rental property throughout the neighborhood, makes strategic purchases of new property near Macalester, and hosts community engagement events throughout the year aimed at building positive relationships between the College and the surrounding community. Some recent High Winds fund events that the Sustainability Office has supported have been sustainability-related tabling at community parade that has moved through campus, supporting community block parties, and promoting reuse at community garage sales.

The MacNest Climate Justice program, is a grant-funded initiative focused on preparing students to address one of the most pressing issues of our time, climate change. As part of this program, 3-4 students per year partner with climate justice organizations in the Twin Cities that are working toward just, equitable and regenerative solutions to the climate crisis. The internships offer valuable mentorship and apprenticeship opportunities; students gain skills for resilience-building in the future. Students also engage in meaningful work that helps to advance the goal of the climate justice organizations that Macalester Partners with. This program is run as a collaborative partnership between the Macalester Sustainability office and the Macalester Department of Entrepreneurship and Innovation. This program aims at engaging with underrepresented groups in several ways. First, the climate justice organizations that Macalester partners with serve climate-vulnerable communities and/or work with undeserved populations. Many of the partners that act as mentors to students in the program from from these communities themselves. In addition, while Many students are drawn to this opportunity, the program prioritizes students who are from underserved communities themselves or have career goals aimed at working with vulnerable populations on climate justice initiatives.

https://www.macalester.edu/entrepreneurship-and-innovation/macnest/climate-justice/