Overall Rating	Gold
Overall Score	76.41
Liaison	Krista Bailey
Submission Date	Dec. 12, 2023

STARS v2.2

Pennsylvania State University
EN-10: Community Partnerships

Status	Score	Responsible Party
	3.00 / 3.00	Krista Bailey Sustainable Campus Strategist Sustainability Institute

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1st Partnership

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

Sustainable Communities Collaborative

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:

The Sustainable Communities Collaborative (SCC) connects University Park faculty, students, and staff with local communities to address sustainability challenges through an engaged, collaborative effort. Innovative university/community-based collaborations are developed to engage PSU faculty and students in existing courses from across the University with real world, community-identified projects to meet the partnering community’s sustainability priorities. Each project is a facilitated effort, involving interdisciplinary faculty expertise and students, co-led by a key community leader and the University’s SCC staff, to help develop and support thriving, healthy communities and advance student learning about the scholarship of sustainability. Students engage in applied, real-world projects or research that benefit communities who otherwise lack the time, resources, or expertise to undertake initial steps or advance their sustainability-focused projects. Penn State's Sustainability Institute funds a full-time staff member to run this program.

SCC project selection is generally influenced by partner willingness and capacity to participate in the program. Projects often address issues associated with underrepresented or vulnerable groups. As SCC projects are addressed by PSU classes, it is assumed that these are a representation of the total student body, including diverse student populations, underrepresented groups, and vulnerable populations.

Projects specifically aimed at the identified populations include: Handicapped accessible trail design; development of a solar-powered wheelchair charger; addressing DEI in HR policies; empowering Latinex immigrant communities (fall 2022)

http://sustainability.psu.edu/live/staff/sustainable-communities-collaborative

2nd Partnership

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

Shaver's Creek Environmental Center

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-focused

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):

Penn State's Shaver's Creek Environmental Center (SCEC) works two local school districts (Mifflin County and Juniata Valley)to provide hands-on, inquiry-based lessons focused on science and the environment. SCEC has worked with the school districts to develop topics and program formats that build upon each other from year to year, in order to create a multi-visit progression for students throughout their K–12 school experience. SCEC also partners with the Central Pennsylvania Native Plant Society annually to sponsor the Central PA Native Plant Festival, which celebrates native plants and local food. Shaver's Creek is owned and operated by Penn State as part of its Outreach mission.
https://www.shaverscreek.org/about-us/schoolprograms/

3rd Partnership

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

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

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Which of the following best describes the partnership timeframe? (3rd partnership):

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

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

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

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Optional Fields

A brief description of the institution’s other community partnerships to advance sustainability:

The Pennsylvania Technical Assistance Program (PennTAP) is an ongoing federal-state-university partnership for economic development run by Penn State. The program services the entire state of Pennsylvania through a network of technical specialists. Often the assistance provided has been in the area of economy, energy, and the environment. http://penntap.psu.edu/success-stories/

Website URL where information about the institution’s community partnerships to advance sustainability is available:

http://www.outreach.psu.edu/

Additional documentation to support the submission:

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Data source(s) and notes about the submission:

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