| Overall Rating | Gold |
|---|---|
| Overall Score | 72.29 |
| Liaison | Jonna Korpi |
| Submission Date | Sept. 11, 2024 |
University of Minnesota, Duluth
EN-10: Community Partnerships
| Status | Score | Responsible Party |
|---|---|---|
|
3.00 / 3.00 |
Jonna
Korpi Sustainability Director UMD Sustainability |
1st Partnership
Does the institution provide financial or material support for the partnership? :
Which of the following best describes the partnership timeframe?:
Which of the following best describes the partnership?:
Are underrepresented groups and/or vulnerable populations engaged as equal partners? :
A brief description of the institution’s formal community partnership to advance sustainability:
Minnesota Sea Grant offices on the UMD campus provide education and outreach to the public along the Lake Superior north shore region along with involving students in volunteering and internship experiences within their organization. The program works to "convey the need of communities, industries, and management agencies to the university scientists" and to "promote the best and most current science regarding Lake Superior and inland lakes to resources users, managers, and policy-makers".
One of the many goals of Minnesota Sea Grant is to serve Minnesotans who need water science and translating that information to be easily accessible. Some of their current extension projects include a program started in 2021 called “One Block at a Time” which is a community planning project in creating green infrastructure in marginalized communities across the Great Lakes. In Duluth specifically, they partnered with NRRI for a” rain-barrel for residents program” in Duluth’s Lincoln Park area. By installing rain barrels, residents of the area can reduce the amount of water flowing from their property which reduces flooding, property damage, and risks to human health.
Minnesota Sea Grant also is partnering with Fond du Lac Community college for the Center for Great Lakes Literacy. Programming through this organization includes the “2024 Shipboard Science Workshop on Lake Erie.” This workshop, in Cleveland, Ohio, will focus on the research on microplastics, phytoplankton, benthic organisms, sediment, and other Lake Erie specific topics.
More info at:
http://www.seagrant.umn.edu/
2nd Partnership
Does the institution provide financial or material support for the partnership? (2nd partnership):
Which of the following best describes the partnership timeframe? (2nd partnership):
Which of the following best describes the partnership’s sustainability focus? (2nd partnership):
Are underrepresented groups and/or vulnerable populations engaged as equal partners? (2nd partnership):
A brief description of the institution’s formal community partnership to advance sustainability (2nd partnership):
The Regional Sustainable Development Partnerships (RSDP) bring together community and University knowledge and resources to drive sustainability in four focus areas: agriculture and food systems, clean energy, natural resources, and resilient communities. RSDP supports local projects through regional boards made up of community members and University faculty and staff. The work of each regional board is supported by community-University work groups in the four sustainability focus areas which work with community partners to identify and develop local project ideas. In 2023, across all regions, RSDP partnered with 334 community partners and 126 University partners and supported 133 place-based innovations across Minnesota. RSDP also supports multi-region food systems work across Greater Minnesota and provides energy programming through the Clean Energy Resource Teams. The Northeast RSDP and the University of Minnesota Duluth partner closely to connect regional community projects with the research and educational resources of UMD due to proximity, though the entire U of M system resources are accessible to community through this unique partnership. Some of the NE RSDP project highlights include the Forest Assisted Migration Project to build a regional market for cultivating and planting climate-smart tree seedlings. The goal of this project is to reforest 1 million acres in the state of Minnesota by 2045 to maintain a forest canopy despite rapid climate changes. Another project that is being worked on is the Maji ya Chai land sanctuary and intergenerational nature-based healing center located in the Two Harbors area, grounded in Black land ownership, human/nature connections, healing, and joy. More info at: https://extension.umn.edu/regional-partnerships/northeast-rsdp
3rd Partnership
Does the institution provide financial or material support for the partnership? (3rd partnership):
Which of the following best describes the partnership timeframe? (3rd partnership):
Which of the following best describes the partnership? (3rd partnership):
Are underrepresented groups and/or vulnerable populations engaged as equal partners? (3rd partnership):
A brief description of the institution’s formal community partnership to advance sustainability (3rd partnership):
The Institute on the Environment at UMD focuses on promoting interdisciplinary sustainability conversation through action on the UMD campus and the surrounding Duluth community. In 2023, IonE@UMD hosted the "Our Climate Futures," conference where Duluth community members, UMD faculty, staff, and students learned about how communities are impacted differently by climate change. The fall conference included a guest speaker from paleBluedot that talked specifically about Duluth’s climate vulnerability in the coming decades. In addition, the conference included a keynote speaker from Cream City Conservation who spoke on helping companies recognize the importance of creating an equitable workplace culture for future environmental leaders.
IonE@UMD is also partnering with Americorps to help increase community and campus outreach. In 2023, IonE@UMD hosted a clothing swap through this partnership which brought awareness to fast fashion and clothing waste.
Events planned for 2024 include a series of "Information Buffets" featuring topics and presenters across disciplines in areas of Sustainable Business, Local Actions, and an unveiling of the updated Sustainability Portal.
More info at: https://ione.d.umn.edu/
Optional Fields
The University of Minnesota has extensive partnerships related to sustainability. Other projects can be found via the Public Engagement Footprint where users can filter partnership information by Sustainable Development Goal areas: https://system.umn.edu/your-community
Website URL where information about the institution’s community partnerships to advance sustainability is available:
Additional documentation to support the submission:
Data source(s) and notes about the submission:
The information presented here is self-reported. While AASHE staff review portions of all STARS reports and institutions are welcome to seek additional forms of review, the data in STARS reports are not verified by AASHE. If you believe any of this information is erroneous or inconsistent with credit criteria, please review the process for inquiring about the information reported by an institution or simply email your inquiry to stars@aashe.org.