University of Connecticut
EN-10: Community Partnerships

The annual Connecticut Environmental Action Day (CEAD) is a one-day conference that seeks to inspire middle-school aged students to take the #ClimateChangeChallenge and then post their actions using #ExtendtheChange to encourage friends and families to do the same. CEAD is sponsored by UConn Extension with our partners from UConn’s Department of Marketing, Department of Anthropology, and UConn PIRG. The goals of Environmental Action Day are: Increase students’ understanding of the environment and natural resources. To foster students’ capacity to become environmentally responsible citizen by increasing their understanding of principles governing individual and collective action. To provide students with access and educational opportunities from UConn. In 2020, over 100 students came from several neighboring middle-schools. to UConn's campus for a day of educational workshops led by Extension faculty and students. https://blog.extension.uconn.edu/2019/03/22/take-the-climate-change-challenge-with-uconn-extension/

The Natural Resources Conservation Academy (NRCA) is an innovative program in conservation and land use planning that engages Connecticut high school students, adult conservation volunteers and teachers with conservation efforts at the community level. NRCA’s three interconnected efforts (below) benefit students and adults by conducting education on natural resource management and geospatial technology, and facilitating the use of these new skills in the implementation of local conservation projects that benefit the community. Students accepted to the NRCA Conservation Ambassador Program will work with the program coordinator to develop a project and connect with a community partner who will help facilitate and guide the student's project to completion. Community partners are typically volunteer community decision makers or conservation leaders on planning, zoning, conservation and wetlands commissions, and serving on land trust boards. https://nrca.uconn.edu/about.htm

The Connecticut Institute for Resilience and Climate Adaptation (CIRCA) is a multidisciplinary, center of excellence that brings together experts in various fields in conjunction with the practical regulatory experience of the Connecticut Department of Energy and Environmental Protection (CTDEEP). This partnership’s mission is to help coastal and inland floodplain communities in Connecticut and throughout the Northeast better adapt to changes in climate change and improve infrastructure resiliency while protecting valuable ecosystems and services. Since the institutions establishment in 2014, UConn has provided staff support through faculty leadership and faculty research from experts in the natural sciences, engineering, economics, political science, finance, and law. All information can be found here: http://circa.uconn.edu/about/

http://www.extension.uconn.edu http://ece.uconn.edu/ http://circa.uconn.edu/about/