Overall Rating Silver
Overall Score 61.45
Liaison Natalie Sobrinski
Submission Date Dec. 23, 2022

STARS v2.2

Muhlenberg College
EN-10: Community Partnerships

Status Score Responsible Party
Complete 3.00 / 3.00 Beth Halpern
Director
Community Service & Civic Engagement
"---" indicates that no data was submitted for this field

Name of the institution’s formal community partnership to advance sustainability :
Community Bike Works

Does the institution provide financial or material support for the partnership? :
Yes

Which of the following best describes the partnership timeframe?:
Multi-year or ongoing

Which of the following best describes the partnership?:
Sustainability-focused

Are underrepresented groups and/or vulnerable populations engaged as equal partners? :
Yes

A brief description of the institution’s formal community partnership to advance sustainability:

Muhlenberg College has multiple supportive partnership including one with Community Bike Works in Allentown. We have worked with Bike Works since the organization's inception 20 years ago. The College collaborates with the organization in their flagship "Earn-a-Bike" 12 week program that teaches youth about bike mechanics and safety while encouraging work ethic. Upon completion of the program, kids earn their own bikes and helmets. Faculty have collaborated with the organization on research questions. Students have served as interns, developed collaborative programs with the kids and organization focused on health, reading/social justice and art, applied for grants to support our work, assisted with one-time events and led programming. Alumni have been hired as full-time staff members. Organizational representatives have served on search committees at the College and participated in other activities on campus. The partnership is mutually beneficial.


Name of the institution’s formal community partnership to advance sustainability (2nd partnership):
Partnership with Jefferson Elementary School

Does the institution provide financial or material support for the partnership? (2nd partnership):
Yes

Which of the following best describes the partnership timeframe? (2nd partnership):
Multi-year or ongoing

Which of the following best describes the partnership’s sustainability focus? (2nd partnership):
Sustainability-related

Are underrepresented groups and/or vulnerable populations engaged as equal partners? (2nd partnership):
Yes

A brief description of the institution’s formal community partnership to advance sustainability (2nd partnership):

Muhlenberg has partnered with Jefferson Elementary School for almost 25 years. Our relationship with the school ranges from before the school year starts through the annual field day Muhlenberg hosts. When budget cuts threatened to decrease art, physical education, library and music from the school curriculum, Muhlenberg students attended school board meetings to express their discontent. When the cuts were enacted, students sought to provide alternative programs so kids might still have access to the arts. All Jefferson Elementary School students come to campus on Field Day while some come when they’re selected as students of the month. Third, fourth and fifth grade students all come to the College for various experiences focused on grade-level goals including science and career exploration. College staff collaborate with school administrators and teachers to create, enact and evaluate these events. Regular, weekly engagement includes Muhlenberg students at the school every day of the week during or after-school. Bi-directional engagement allows for both Jefferson and Muhlenberg community members to regularly visit and co-create goals and opportunities, enhancing all our communities.


Name of the institution’s formal community partnership to advance sustainability (3rd partnership):
Costa Rica Partnerhsip

Does the institution provide financial or material support for the partnership? (3rd partnership):
Yes

Which of the following best describes the partnership timeframe? (3rd partnership):
Multi-year or ongoing

Which of the following best describes the partnership? (3rd partnership):
Sustainability-focused

Are underrepresented groups and/or vulnerable populations engaged as equal partners? (3rd partnership):
Yes

A brief description of the institution’s formal community partnership to advance sustainability (3rd partnership):

For more than 15 years Muhlenberg College has partnered with a small community in Costa Rica called Las Juntas de Abangares. Each year for several weeks students and a couple faculty travel to Las Juntas to engage with local communities and participate in on-site research.” This is the Costa Rica course, which we also counted as one of our immersive experiences.


A brief description of the institution’s other community partnerships to advance sustainability:
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Website URL where information about the institution’s community partnerships to advance sustainability is available:
Additional documentation to support the submission:
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Data source(s) and notes about the submission:

Rich Niesenbaum also contributed to the reporting of this credit.


Rich Niesenbaum also contributed to the reporting of this credit.

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