Stanford University
EN-10: Community Partnerships

The watershed and floodplain of San Francisquito Creek encompasses approximately 50 square miles from the Santa Cruz Mountains to San Francisco Bay. Historically, the creek has divided jurisdictions and communities that have viewed it as a liability. And, historically, the communities surrounding the creek have not had an organization through which they could accomplish their mutual objectives. Following years of effort to address environmental issues, and the flood of record in 1998 that damaged approximately 1,700 properties, five local agencies from two counties—the cities of Palo Alto, Menlo Park, and East Palo Alto, the County of San Mateo, and the Santa Clara Valley Water District—joined together to create a new regional government agency, the San Francisquito Creek Joint Powers Authority (SFCJPA). With the goals of transforming San Francisquito Creek from a divisive liability into a unifying asset—and of addressing the cities’ flooding, environmental and recreational concerns along San Francisco Bay—the SFCJPA plans, designs, and implements projects from the upper watershed to tidal marshes. The Authority’s multi-jurisdictional approach to solving problems is reflected in these projects. They serve the interrelated ecosystem, recreational, and disaster protection needs of the region, and are funded by multiple local, state, and federal partners. Since the SFCJPA was formed in 1999, it has drawn upon the interest and considerable expertise of local residents, including researchers working for the largest landowner within the watershed, Stanford University. Elected officials represent these jurisdictions on the SFCJPA Board. The Authority employs an executive director and three professional staff, who are substantially assisted by consultants and by staff of its founding agencies. Stanford has been designated as an associate member and has been an active participant and contributor to the Authority’s consideration of various options, including through financial and other materials contributions. For instance, Stanford devotes staff time from various departments, including Water Resources and Civil Infrastructure, Land Buildings and Real Estate, and Government & Community Relations, to periodically meet and confer with SFCJPA staff on areas of intersection between Stanford and the JPA. The upper part of the SF Creek watershed is on Stanford land and some SFCJPA concepts for flood mitigation involve potential projects on Stanford land. Stanford has shared with the SFCJPA and their member agencies (Santa Clara Valley Water District) technical modeling results for SF Creek that have been prepared by Stanford’s engineering consultants, the cost of which has been funded by Stanford. Additional information about the San Francisquito Creek Joint Powers Authority can be found here: www.sfcjpa.org

The Energy Transformation Collaborative course is offered each year and has become a formal partnership between the Precourt Institute for Energy and the City of East Palo Alto. Through research projects that build off of one another each academic year, graduate students at Stanford are able to support sustainability in East Palo Alto and simultaneously earn class credit. The collaboration began when the city of East Palo Alto, a city whose residents are primarily from underrepresented groups, asked for Stanford’s help in identifying risks and benefits associated with joining a community choice energy program. Due to the research proposals the city received from Stanford graduate students, East Palo Alto voted to join the program on February 2, 2016. This success story represents just one project of the many that have been done and will continue to be done through this collaboration. Other examples of proposals based on graduate student research conducted through this partnership include: Housing: Energy Efficiency Implementation Housing: Accessory Dwelling Unit Program A New Vision for East Palo Alto: Transportation and Mobility Direct Potable Reuse: The Time is Now The Energy Transformation Collaborative is supported through in-kind donations, the Stanford President’s Fund, the School of Earth, Energy & Environmental Sciences, and the Precourt Institute for Energy. An article highlighting one of the projects that came to fruition as a result of this partnership was released in the Stanford Report and can be accessed here: http://news.stanford.edu/thedish/2016/02/08/stanford-students-work-with-east-palo-alto-officials-to-evaluate-a-clean-energy-plan-for-the-city/

The Osa & Golfito Initiative, "INOGO", is an international collaborative effort to develop a strategy for sustainable human development and environmental stewardship in the Osa and Golfito Cantons of Costa Rica. The effort's core is a collaboration between people and institutions in the US and Costa Rica, facilitated by the Stanford Woods Institute for the Environment at Stanford University. INOGO is designed to build on the many previous efforts in the region, working hand in hand with Costa Ricans in local communities, in the public and private sector, and with NGOs to create a shared vision and long-term strategic plan for a sustainable future for the Osa and Golfito region. The project integrates the sociocultural dimensions of the Osa and Golfito region with both its marine and terrestrial ecosystems. The goal of this initiative is to generate a living process for sustainable development lead by Costa Ricans, especially the people from Osa and Golfito. It also aims to provide information and products that will be useful to stakeholders in the region for their ongoing decision-making processes. Components of the program include: 1) A process of listening and consultation with stakeholders at the local, regional, and national levels via an ongoing presence in the region; 2) An analysis of existing resources, needs and opportunities for the region's sustainable development, including key actors and potential financial resources; 3) The interactive co-development with stakeholders of scenarios depicting possible alternative futures for the region. These three components are designed to contribute to the project's final goal, which is a long-term, actionable strategy for the region's well being. The Osa & Golfito Initiative is sponsored by Stanford's Woods Institute for the Environment. More information can be found at: http://inogo.stanford.edu/project-overview?language=en

OFF-CAMPUS BIKEWAY IMPROVEMENTS As part of its 2018 General Use Permit application, Stanford has proposed to fund four off-campus bikeway improvements that will benefit both Stanford commuters and residents of surrounding communities. The proposed improvements, which will need to be studied, approved and constructed by the respective local jurisdiction, are designed to help address gaps in the area bike network. Specifically, the university proposes to fund implementation of projects that would: Improve an existing bike/pedestrian route that links the campus with Menlo Park via a bridge over San Francisquito Creek near the Stanford West Apartments, which are located off Sand Hill Road. Install improvements along Alameda de las Pulgas and Santa Cruz Avenue between Sand Hill Road and Valparaiso Avenue. Install bikeway improvements along Hanover Street in Palo Alto that will better connect the Stanford Perimeter Trail to the Bol Park Path, creating a continuous route to the campus through southern Palo Alto neighborhoods and the Stanford Research Park. Install improved connections in East Palo Alto to the soon-to-be-open bicycle and pedestrian overcrossing of U.S. Highway 101 between Clark Avenue and Newell Road. BRIGHT AWARD The Bright Award, given by Stanford Law School each year, was created by Raymond E. Bright Jr., an alumnus of the law school, who was a lifelong conservationist. It is meant to recognize important contributions to sustainability around the world and provide an international platform to showcase smart environmental solutions. In 2018, the Bright Award was given to EcoPeace Middle East for its efforts to rehabilitate the Jordan River. In 2013, the Israeli Water Authority permitted the release of fresh water into the Jordan River for the first time in 49 years. This significant event was a poignant victory for EcoPeace Middle East, a nonprofit organization of Palestinian, Jordanian and Israeli environmentalists who are leading the effort to rehabilitate the historic river. EcoPeace Middle East is a unique organization that provides an outlet for civilians to step up to protect their shared environment, even in the face of regional conflict from divided communities. COMMUNITY PARTNERSHIP AWARDS Between 2004 and 2017, Stanford’s Office of Public Affairs distributed Community Partnership Awards to honor the valuable partnerships that exist between Stanford and its neighbors, and to celebrate community efforts that successfully tackle real world problems and advance the public good. Award winners were selected based on their initiative, leadership, and involvement in projects that embodied the spirit of genuine partnership and benefited the overall community. In each case, the projects resulted in collaboration and better understanding between Stanford and Bay Area communities. Many of the partnerships that have been recognized over the years through the Community Partnership Awards have been sustainability-related. The full list of Community Partnership Award recipients can be found at the link below. Grassroots Ecology was one of the 2017 Community Partnership Award winners. For 24 years, Grassroots Ecology has been leveraging the power of community volunteers to create healthy ecosystems across Silicon Valley, from the foothills to the San Francisco Bay. Grassroots Ecology’s many partnerships with Stanford include habitat restoration in the San Francisquito Creek and watershed, student mentorship through the Open Space Management Practicum, invasive species removal and native species installation at the Arastradero Reserve and Matadero Creek, and bilaterally serving on panels, workshops and advisory groups. Grassroots Ecology oversees restoration activities in 22 sites around the Peninsula, encompassing 2,600 acres of natural lands and generating over 30,000 native plants and 200 local native species. Visit: http://govcr.stanford.edu/community-partnerships/ Stanford also maintains many community partnerships outside of those that have been recognized through the Community Partnership Awards. On the operational side, Stanford's Land Use and Environmental Planning (LUEP) group partners with the non-profit group Magic, a volunteer-based organization, to plant trees and shrubs as part of broad restoration efforts in the Stanford Foothills. LUEP also partners with Grassroots Ecology, another volunteer-based organization, to control cape ivy along the Matadero Creek Conservation Easement. Other community partnerships associated with the academic side of the university are listed below. SUSTAINABLE CITIES CLASS "Sustainable Cities" is a service-learning course offered through Stanford University’s Program on Urban Studies. Students learn and work collaboratively with Bay Area government agencies and community organizations to support their sustainability goals. Experiential learning outside the classroom allows students to serve the local community in achieving a more sustainable future. "Sustainable Cities" presents students with the opportunity to work hands-on in a professional environment with the close guidance of professional staff and Stanford faculty. Students select projects that fit their personal interests and skill sets and are matched with other students into project teams. The teams work diligently on the projects over ten weeks, and present their final products to key stakeholders and community members at the conclusion of the class. Some of these projects, such as the Downtown Redwood City Bike Parking Inventory and the Redwood City Bike Share Assessment have been successfully implemented. Past partners include Redwood City 2020, Joint Venture Silicon Valley, How Youth Perceive the Environment (HOPE), and more. SOLAR MARKET GARDEN PROJECT The Solar Market Garden Project aims to bring solar-powered drip-irrigation systems to arid regions with endemic food shortages. In partnership with the Solar Electric Light Fund (SELF), which uses solar power to pump irrigation and drinking water in a set of rural villages in northern Benin, West Africa, this Center on Food Security and the Environment-sponsored project is spreading its technology into an increasing number of arid West African villages. Visit: http://fsi.stanford.edu/research/solar_market_gardens_as_a_tool_for_rural_development/ DHAKA WATER PROJECT Stanford’s Dhaka Water Project developed a device to disinfect drinking water without relying on electricity or moving parts. The in-line chlorinator is designed for low-income urban areas that rely on shared drinking water points. It is currently being distributed in Dhaka, Bangladesh. Visit: http://stanforddhakawater.wordpress.com/about/ SCIENCE IN SERVICE As reported in the Stanford Report: Stanford students with a passion for education are helping science come alive for local youth from the Boys and Girls Club of the Peninsula, Ravenswood School District and La Honda-Pescadero Unified School District. Part of Stanford’s Cardinal Service initiative, Science in Service (SIS) creates spaces that allow young people to have rich and fulfilling experiences using science as a way of knowing. Projects include one-on-one pairing of Stanford students with community youth doing science activities, facilitating family science nights and collaborating on curriculum development based on current research. Stanford students receive training and practice ongoing reflection in order to deeply engage in conversations about learning and equity in science education. Preparation workshops focus on science education, educational equity, teaching strategies and current education trends (including topics such as growth mindset, stereotype threat and next-generation science standards). Student volunteers develop leadership and mentorship skills, the ability to communicate science to non-scientists, a better understanding of local communities and a commitment to improving K-12 science education. As alumni, they go on to professions ranging from medicine to marine biology, education to environmental engineering. The full article is available at: http://news.stanford.edu/2016/11/09/stanford-program-helps-develop-next-generation-stem-leaders-through-service/