University of Idaho
EN-10: Community Partnerships

In 2018, the College of Art and Architecture (CAA) was invited by Jeffery Sachs, Director of SDSN and Special Advisor to the UN Secretary-General, to join the U.S. Chapter of the Sustainable Development Solutions Network. The university is providing financial support for CAA professors John Anderson and Andy Kliskey to lead this partnership. The partnerships sustainability focus simultaneously supports social equity and wellbeing, economic prosperity, and ecological health. The SDSN USA will help to mobilize and support America’s colleges, universities, and other leading research institutions to promote the sustainable development goals (SDG) in the United States, and US’s contribution to the SDGs globally. In the opening meeting of the SDSN USA on December 4, representatives of more than 60 leading academic institutions around the nation developed a work plan for the new network, focusing on priority SDG challenges facing the United States. The Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs), otherwise known as the Global Goals, are a universal call to action to end poverty, protect the planet and ensure that all people enjoy peace and prosperity. These 17 Goals build on the successes of the Millennium Development Goals, while including new areas such as climate change, economic inequality, innovation, sustainable consumption, peace and justice, among other priorities. The goals are interconnected – often the key to success on one will involve tackling issues more commonly associated with another. https://www.uidaho.edu/news/news-articles/kudos/2019-spring/020119-caa-sustainableinclusivedesign?utm_source=University+of+Idaho&utm_campaign=115ff76b66-EMAIL_CAMPAIGN_2018_09_25_COPY_01&utm_medium=email&utm_term=0_18a9cb4835-115ff76b66-86139633 http://unsdsn.org/

The Palouse groundwater basin is the sole source of water for over 60,000 residents of Pullman, Washington and Moscow, Idaho and outlying areas in both Whitman County (Washington) and Latah County (Idaho). The University of Idaho is a member of the Palouse Basin Aquifer Committee (PBAC), an ongoing partnership, along with six interstate members dedicated to the preservation and protection of the Palouse Basin Aquifer. The committee works to support water conservation and alternative water supply sources in the region. UI, a land grant university, serves the committee with two-voting members. The University is a 1992 signatory of the Palouse Basin Groundwater Management Plan and contributes $40,000 annually for research and interstate development of an alternative water supply. The PBAC partnership simultaneously supports social equity and wellbeing, economic prosperity, and ecological health by: a) coordinating and planning to assure a long-range supply of water, b) updating and expanding a database instituted through previous studies, c) encouraging conservation to promote the life of the aquifer, d) investigating continuing and/or alternate sources of water, e) educating and advising on the quantity and quality of the public water, f) acting as liaison between the entities on water resource concerns and, g) promoting communications between the entities, the Washington Department of Ecology, and the Idaho Department of Water Resources. PBAC is engaged in a Water Supplies Alternative project. Alternatives include, but are not limited to: reclaimed water, aquifer recharge, storm water harvesting, advanced water conservation protection, and preservation of both ground and surface water sources. http://palousebasin.org/

The Food for Thought Film Series is designed to offer education through entertainment. Documentaries and feature films on a number of sustainability issues are shown at a local community theater. Attendance is free, and films are advertised to the campus, select classes, and the community. To this ongoing partnership, established in 2013, the University of Idaho Sustainability Center contributes numerous financial and material supports including, screening rights fees, linking the committee to faculty and graduate students with relevant research expertise, tabling at films, disseminating event and initiative updates, and providing raffle prizes. Long-term partners include the Moscow Food Cooperative, the U of I Sustainability Center (UISC), Moscow Recycling, and Palouse Environmental Sustainability Coalition. Each year, dozens of community and campus partners are invited to present relevant local information or the latest research, to challenge attendees with personal action items, and to inspire. The partnership simultaneously supports all three dimensions of sustainability, i.e. social equity and wellbeing, economic prosperity, and ecological health. In 2018, screenings explore zero waste living; alternative transportation options; social justice; how the back to the land movement influenced the local food system, education, and respect for nature; banning bottled water; the plight of the Albatross dying from eating plastics found throughout the ocean; exploring the power of cooperatives in America and their ability to transform social and environmental justice; and many more. Underrepresented groups, such as Native American tribes, women's centers, food banks, and socio-economic welfare non-profits to name a few, are regularly invited to engage in film selection, to introduce films with a local perspective, and to link attendees to regional initiatives. https://www.moscowfood.coop/food-for-thought-film-series/

1. Shauna Corry, PhD, Interim Dean, College of Art and Architecture 2. Eugene Gussenhoven, Director—Facilities—Utilities & Engineering Services. 3. Jeannie Matheison, Director, Sustainability Center