Overall Rating Gold - expired
Overall Score 70.12
Liaison Maria Dahmus
Submission Date March 5, 2021

STARS v2.2

University of St. Thomas
IN-47: Innovation A

Status Score Responsible Party
Complete 0.50 / 0.50 Maria Dahmus
Director
Office of Sustainability Initiatives
"---" indicates that no data was submitted for this field

Name or title of the innovative policy, practice, program, or outcome:
SCP Arts

A brief description of the innovative policy, practice, program, or outcome that outlines how credit criteria are met and any positive measurable outcomes associated with the innovation:
Inspired by the transformative impacts of efforts that bridge art and sustainability, St. Thomas’ Sustainable Communities Partnership (SCP) developed SCP Arts to design partnerships with local artists, SCP partners, and students to translate SCP project findings into artwork to engage the broader community. SCP and partners share the resulting artwork in their communities and beyond, bringing to life partners’ sustainability projects for people of all ages. This program was initiated in 2018 and is ongoing at the time of this report's submittal.

SCP Arts has been reported in STARS credit EN-3, which asks about art initiatives that had students as the primary audience. For this innovation credit we are highlighting the impact to the off-campus community. Examples of engaging the public by translating sustainability research into artwork accessible to communities and participants of any age include:
- Pollinator Pathways activity guide and Pollinator Bingo for kids (and people of any age) in collaboration with Walker Art Center & the MWMO.
- Light rail internal and external wrap to celebrate the role of public transit in the community.

The Educational Partnerships for Innovations in Communities - Network (EPIC-N) highlighted the innovative nature of SCP Arts when recognizing SCP with a 2020 Outstanding Program Award.
https://www.epicn.org/2020/07/07/university-of-st-thomas-2020-outstanding-program-award-finalist/

Project Outcome Examples & Documentation:
Pollinator Bingo has been used by the Walker Art Center during the pandemic in their Free First Saturday at Home “Plant Party” programming for ages 4 and up: https://walkerart.org/calendar/2020/free-first-saturday-at-home-plant-party

Pollinator Bingo has been part of the SCP Arts Pollinator Pathways exhibit at the Mississippi Watershed Management Organization: https://www.mwmo.org/learn/visit-us/exhibits/pollinator-pathways/

Metro Transit publication featuring light rail internal and external wrap: https://www.metrotransit.org/light-rail-art-celebrates-earth-day-partnership

Metro Transit Earth Week Light Rail Installation can be found here: https://www.stthomas.edu/osi/scparts/installationsandexhibits/metrotransitearthweeklightrailspring2019/

Pollinator Pathways activity guide, Pollinator Bingo, and Pollinating Flower Bingo can be found here: https://www.stthomas.edu/osi/scparts/installationsandexhibits/pollinatorpathsummer2019/

Full complement of SCP Arts public art projects can be found here: https://www.stthomas.edu/osi/scparts/scpartsprojects/

Optional Fields

A letter of affirmation from an individual with relevant expertise or a press release or publication featuring the innovation :
None
The website URL where information about the innovation is available :
Additional documentation to support the submission:
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Data source(s) and notes about the submission:
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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.