Civic and Community Engagement Commons^™

How Do Communities Proactively Address Lead Remediation? Community Case Studies From Iowa, Emma Nordmeyer

2016-2017: Scott County, Iowa and the Scott County Health Department

Scott County Health Department officials reached out to the Sustainable Working Landscapes Initiative (SWLI) program at Augustana College to start a partnership to address environmental issues related to lead hazards in Scott County homes. Students in Fall 2016 Contemporary Social Issues class worked in teams to perform case studies on communities in Iowa that address lead remediation proactively. Teams of students studied Dubuque, Linn, Polk, Marshall, and Black Hawk counties in Iowa. The students worked to identify obstacles, successes, key questions, and recommendations for future directions in lead remediation from these communities. This report is a summary of those findings.

How Do Communities Proactively Address Lead Remediation? : Community Case Studies From Iowa, Dr. Angie L. Carter, Emma Nordmeyer

2016-2017: Scott County, Iowa and the Scott County Health Department

In 2016, Scott County Health Department officials reached out to the Sustainable Working Landscapes Initiative (SWLI) program at Augustana College to begin a partnership addressing lead poisoning in our community. Teams of students in the Fall 2016 Contemporary Social Issues class conducted sociological case studies of communities in Iowa that are proactively addressing lead remediation through combinations of United States Department of Housing and Urban Development (HUD) and private funding. Groups of students conducted case studies in Dubuque, Linn, Polk, Marshall, and Black Hawk counties in Iowa. Students researched the demographics of these areas as well as successes, lessons learned, …

Exploring Alternative Funding Methods For The Lead Remediation Program In Scott County, Iowa, Dr. John Delaney, Brittany A. Poynor

2016-2017: Scott County, Iowa and the Scott County Health Department

Lead poisoning is an environmental as well as social problem. Areas with more older housing and higher rates of poverty are also the areas with the most lead poisoned children. Though the United States banned the use of lead paint in in 1978 and lead poisoning is preventable, lead poisoning remains a public health problem. Homes built before 1978 may pose risk of lead paint exposure, but of special concern to Scott County are the number of homes built before 1950.

Scott County, Iowa is home to some of the oldest housing units in the U.S. Iowa ranks fifth among …

Fighting Lead Poisoning With Food, Brenna Whisler, Tracy Ngo

2016-2017: Scott County, Iowa and the Scott County Health Department

No abstract provided.

The Emerging Role Of Universities In Collective Impact Initiatives For Community Benefit, Jason Smith, Lynn E. Pelco, Alex Rooke

Division of Community Engagement Resources

Universities are increasing their efforts to more clearly demonstrate their social value. This article illustrates how higher education administrators can incorporate collective impact partnerships in their community benefit strategies. The article explores two of the more familiar paradigms for community benefit—community engagement and anchor institution. Collective impact principles and practices are then presented. Finally, a case study provides a tangible example of how one university’s role in a collective impact initiative transitioned in response to the community. We end the article with ten takeaways and an invitation for higher education administrators to identify their own learning and action steps that …

Pay For Social And Impact Bonds In Singapore, Richard Edwards, Kevin Tan

Social Space

Measurably Improving the Lives of People Most in Need

National Assessment Program: Sample Assessment: Civics And Citizenship Report: Years 6 And 10: 2016, Julian Fraillon, Eveline Gebhardt, Judy Nixon, Louise Ockwell, Tim Friedman, Michelle Robins, Mark Mcandrew

Civics and Citizenship Assessment

Under the National Assessment Program, the Civics and Citizenship sample assessment is administered to a representative sample of Year 6 and Year 10 students every three years. It is conducted under the auspices of the Education Council. The National Assessment Program – Civics and Citizenship assesses students’ skills, knowledge and understandings of Australia’s system of government, civic institutions and the values which underpin Australia’s democracy. It also provides an indication of student attitudes and their engagement in civic-related activities at school and in the community. This report presents the findings of the fifth National Assessment Program – Civics and Citizenship …

Engagement In A Public Forum: Knowledge, Action, And Cosmopolitanism, Jennifer F. Brewer, Natalie Springuel, James Wilson, Robin Alden, Dana Morse, Catherine Schmitt, Chris Bartlett, Teresa Joihnson, Carla Guenther, Damian Brady

Geography

Facing challenges to the civic purpose of higher education, some scholars and administrators turn to the rhetoric of engagement. Simultaneously, the political philosophy of cosmopolitanism has gained intellectual favor, advocating openness to the lived experiences of distant others. We articulate linkages between these two discourses in an extended case study, finding that a cosmopolitan ethos of engagement in a rural context can improve (1) understanding among people ordinarily separated by spatialized social-ecological differences, (2) prospects for longer term environmental sustainability, and (3) the visionary potential of collaborative inquiry. Despite globalization of food systems and neoliberal shifts in fishery management, an …

Climate Change In The Hudson River Estuary: Promoting Adaptation And Resilience Through Stakeholder Engagement In Design And Visualization, Gabrielle S.D. Weiss

Bard Center for Environmental Policy

In response to the growing risk to communities from climate change impacts, Professor Cerra at the Cornell University School of Landscape Architecture developed the Climate Adaptive Design (CAD) program. CAD is being implemented as a partnership between the Hudson River Estuary Program (Estuary Program) and Cornell that utilizes participatory design and visualization to engage communities about planning for future climate impacts. The goal of CAD is to build climate resilience, galvanize community participation and education, and build links to external sources of support including local institutions of higher education. This thesis outlines background for the development of the program and …

Public Perception Of Environmental Programs In The Sierra Gorda Biosphere Reserve, Landa De Matamoros, Queretaro, Mexico, Danielle Marie Salisbury

Bard Center for Environmental Policy

Biological or ecological corridors have recently been sought out as a solution to biodiversity loss due to habitat fragmentation. In eastern Mexico, the Mexican and German governments are collaborating to connect fragmented landscapes and Natural Protected Areas (NPAs) over five states across a Madrean Pine-Oak biodiversity hotspot through the implementation of the Ecological Corridor of the Sierra Madre Oriental (CESMO). One of the ways the CESMO is accomplishing its conservation goals is by extending environmental programs that are currently in place within NPAs to other areas within the corridor, but outside of NPA borders. However, the success of the corridor …

The Might Of Millennials, Christopher Cheok

Social Space

Throughout history, young people have been the energy and driving force of change in society. Today, that is all the more true. With the prevalence of social media, youth and young adults have the unique ability to infl uence others, and to a greater extent than parents or schools can. Since they are able to shape attitudes and values so greatly, it is important to empower youth with the necessary knowledge and tools to be a force for good, and to make positive contributions to society. Young people have shown their ability to create change and broad awareness of social …

Hot Topics And Happenings In Social Innovation, Florian Parzhuber

Social Space

WALK THE TALK Do you take your ability to speak, sing or swallow for granted? For individuals with speech impediments, simple actions like taking a sip of tea or saying hello can be diffi cult, or even impossible. However, speech therapy can help strengthen the muscles responsible for making sounds and swallowing, and equips affected persons with strategies to improve verbal communication, and to make eating and drinking safer. To combat Cambodia’s lack of speech therapy and therapists, Australia-born Weh Yeoh founded OIC Cambodia, a charity dedicated to making speech therapy available to the local people. Himself a professionally trained …

Addressing Islamophobia In Greene County, Virginia, Kayla Barker

Senior Honors Projects, 2010-2019

This paper provides a summary of a day-long seminar organized in a rural community following another local seminar endorsed by the community’s Sheriff concerning the “Muslim Threat.” The Sheriff’s event was held just days before the 2016 U.S. presidential election. During the campaign and in the aftermath of the election, many politicians employed anti-Muslim rhetoric. This seemed to bring to the surface many Islamophobic opinions of elected officials and their electorates which were grounded in fear and misinformation.

A report published by the Pew Research Center states, “Older Americans and those with relatively low levels of educational attainment…tend to be …

Your Burning Changemaking Questions - Answered, Jiezhen Wu

Social Space

To be or not to be? That may (or may not) be your question. In ASK ME ANYTHING, readers write in with their social innovation queries, and the Social Space team finds a changemaker to answer them. In this issue, we pose these inquiries to JIEZHEN WU of THE HIDDEN GOOD.

A Quick Guide To Social Change Buzzwords, Jay Boolkin

Social Space

Social Impact, Intrapreneurship, Benefit Corporation, Shared Value— these are just a few of the many buzzwords that get thrown around in the social arena. But what do these terms mean and how do we apply them? JAY BOOLKIN of socialgoodstuff.com has come up with a handy guide that demystifies the myriad jargon and fanfare surrounding social change.

Deborah Olsen Public Service Scholarship Essay, Maura Hand

Examples of Student Work

In this essay, Maura Hand reflects on the ten weeks she spent interning with the State Department's Office of Foreign Missions (OFM) in San Francisco, California.

Adult Health Literacy, Kathleen Elliott, Moriah Gendelman, Qundeel Khattak, Nisha Quasba, Victoria Trapani, Gaby Witte

ISCOPES Posters and Presentations

No abstract provided.

Impact Of Books, Alyssa Buffi

International Journal of Undergraduate Community Engagement

This poster details my service learning project. I wrote and illustrated a book that will teach children how important it is to accept people even if they are different. After I had my book printed and delivered, I volunteered one evening to read to a group of children on the Bells for Books bus in Garden City. By taking the time to go read to the youth of Garden City, I not only showed them that they deserve the right to education and books, but also the importance of volunteering.

Cumu Annual Conference, Jennifer Early, Catherine Howard

Division of Community Engagement Resources

The VCU Division of Community Engagement mobilizes university-community partnerships that generate innovative solutions to societal challenges and prepares the engaged citizens of tomorrow; they host the CUMU Conference (Coalition of Urban and Metropolitan Universities) annually. Students, faculty, and community partners collaborate to effect positive change in social, organizational, and economic impact. Value Propositions are created to clearly summarize the value that students add to an organization, and the relevance and distinction. This information is complied through assessment, development, and communication.

Creating, Collaborating And Adapting: Implementing A Decentralized Youth Policy, Tina C. Carter, Alyssa King

Division of Community Engagement Resources

The first year implementing a new policy on campus comes with unique opportunities as well as challenges in ensuring appropriate controls and protections for minors. A decentralized policy can often highlight these barriers, but can also create space for innovation. When a policy is located in departments like human resources and risk management infrastructures designed to bolster policies and manage liability are present. For policies in non-traditional areas of higher education, the journey to a sustainable policy model requires a different approach. Virginia Commonwealth University’s policy, Safety and Protection of Minors, is located under the Division of Community Engagement, within …