Resilient Communities Project

Building Community-University Partnerships for Resilience

WebinarNovember 15, 2018

RCP TEAM

Program Associate Ashleigh Walter, Director Mike Greco, and Program Coordinator Sarah Tschida

TODAY’S AGENDA

What RCP is and how it works

Application process and eligibility

Selection process

Questions from participants (but ask anytime)

MISSION OF RCP

Connect local communities with the University of Minnesota to advance

community resilience and student learning through collaborative, course-based projects

Building Community-University Partnerships for Resilience

The capacity of individuals, institutions, communities, and natural systems to adapt and thrive in response to

changes, stresses, and shocks

WHAT IS RESILIENCE?

PROGRAM OBJECTIVES

Building local capacity around community resiliency

Offering faculty ready-made applied learning projects for their classrooms

Training students to be future resiliency practitioners

Promoting a collaborative model of community–university engagement

HOW RCP WORKS

Partners competitively selectedPartner identifies 10−25 project ideas, refines with RCPRCP matches each “project” with one or more coursesStudent class projects are collaboratively scopedStudents complete class projects for creditRCP provides assistance and troubleshooting as neededStudents deliver final presentations + work products

University City/County

One Faculty + Students

Semi-formal agreement

One discipline/project

Semester-long

TRADITIONAL PARTNERSHIP

RCP

University City/CountyFormal contract + scopes of work

Multiple disciplines/project

1+ Years

RCP PARTNERSHIP

Community Development

Social Services

Administration

Corrections

Environmental Management

Public Works

Urban Planning

Law

Social Work

Public Health

Engineering

Political Science

Marketing

GIS

WHY RCP WORKSParticipation is opt-inProjects are part of current work planCollaborative project scopingMultiple students/student teams in each classContinuous contact and communicationEngagement with local residents, businesses, organizationsEveryone has ‘skin in the game’

Community partners:

§ City of Minnetonka

§ City of North St. Paul

§ City of Rosemount

§ Carver County

§ City of Brooklyn Park

§ City of Ramsey

§ Scott County

§ Ramsey County

RCP: THE FIRST SEVEN YEARS

Community Projects: 160

U of MN Courses: 290

U of MN Departments: 47

Students: 2,200 +

COMMON PROJECT ISSUE AREAS

HousingHealth and well-beingRenewable Energy Environmental managementLand useCommunity identity Public participation and engagementArts and cultureDiversity and equity

City/county administrationPublic safety Community and economic developmentTransportationEducationSocial servicesClimate changeParks and recreationAnd many more. . .

PARTICIPATING UMN DEPARTMENTSAgronomyAnthropologyArchitectureBioproducts & Biosystems EngineeringBusiness AdministrationCivil, Environmental, & Geo-Engineering Communication Studies Community Health PromotionDesignEnvironmental EducationEnvironmental HealthEnvironmental Science, Policy, & ManagementFisheries, Wildlife, & Conservation BiologyFood SystemsForest & Natural Resource ManagementGeographic Information SystemsGeography, Environment, and Society Gerontology Graphic DesignHealth, Physical Education & Recreation (UMD)HorticultureHousing StudiesHuman Resources & Industrial RelationsInterior Design

Journalism & Mass CommunicationLandscape ArchitectureLawLiberal StudiesMaternal & Child HealthOrganization Leadership, Policy & DevelopmentPolitical SciencePsychology Public Affairs Public PolicyPublic Health Administration & PolicyRecreation and Outdoor EducationRecreation & Resource ManagementScandinavian StudiesScience, Technology, & Environmental PolicySocial WorkSpanish & Portuguese StudiesSports ManagementStrategic CommunicationSustainability StudiesUrban & Regional PlanningUrban StudiesYouth Studies

Example Project—North St. Paul

Project: Living Streets Implementation

Goal: Address public opposition to implementing Living Streets Plan adopted in 2011

Urban Planning students designed prototype public engagement process for street reconstruction projects

Architecture students designed interactive tools to communicate value of green infrastructure

Public Health students documented environmental and health benefits of living streets

Example Project—Rosemount

Project: GHG Emissions Reduction and Climate Adaptation

Goal: Reduce local GHG emissions and prepare the community to adapt to changing climate

Urban Planning and Lawstudents identified best practices + policy actions among suburban communities to reduce emissions + adapt to climate change

Adult Education students created public education and outreach curriculum and materials

Sustainability Studies and Public Policy students documented baseline GHG emissions

PROGRAM ELIGIBILITYLocated within the state of MinnesotaSufficient staff capacity to support partnershipOne of the following types of organizations or agencies:

§ Municipality (city or township)

§ County government§ Tribal government§ Special district (watershed, park district, transit district, conservation district,

port authority, school district)

§ Regional government agency§ Regional partnership (may include any or all of the above applying jointly)

Carver County Departments:Administrative ServiceSocial ServicesPublic HealthPlanning and Water Management

Carver County CDA

Carver County Historical Society

City of Chaska

City of Victoria

City of Watertown

Eastern Carver County School District (ISD 112)

SouthWest Transit

Regional Partnership: Carver County(2015–2016 Partner)

APPLICATION TIMELINEOctober 10: Request for proposals issued

October–January: RCP staff available for informational presentationsNovember–February: RCP staff available to discuss project ideas **February 15: Proposals due by 11:59 pm (CST)

March 2019: RCP notifies communities selected for partnership

APPLICATION COMPONENTS1. Partner information

2. Resiliency statement

3. Administrative capacity

4. Proposed projects (10–30)

5. Public involvement

6. Next steps

7. Long-term benefits

8. Demonstration of support

9. Local financial contribution

APPLICATION PROCESS

Brad Davis, Planning Manager

for Scott County

When Scott County first considered applying for the RCP partnership, Brad reached out to the following people to introduce RCP, gauge interest, and communicate benefits:• All of the city and tribal planners• Community development

directors• Scott County CDA (Community

Development Agency)• Several county commissioners

We all agreed that the timing was right for this particular round of University of Minnesota RCP partnership because of all of the possible research projects coming out of our respective 2040 comprehensive plans.

—BRAD DAVIS, SCOTT COUNTY

• While these external partners were considering research topic ideas, I gathered a meeting of all internal county staff who had been working on different components of the 2040 comprehensive plan to solicit research topics.

• We wanted to pick research topics that we were already committing to do in the county, but maybe sooner than we had originally planned.

• It took several meetings with internal staff to hone our list of research topic ideas into workable, feasible projects that had a dedicated project lead.

• Other than the CDA, our city and tribal partners decided in the end they did not have the staff capacity to dedicate the time needed to be a project lead.

IDENTIFYING PROJECTS

Application: • Looked at previously successful applications and tried to mirror the

general format and content• Sought several outside agencies to provide a “letter of recommendation”

Project Descriptions: • I drafted the one-page template to make sure we hit all of the required

content and had a consistent look• Then each project manager filled out the template with their specific

research topic questions and background• I was the final editor to make sure there was consistency in message, etc.

— BRAD DAVIS, SCOTT COUNTY

SELECTION CRITERIA

1. Top-level support and administrative capacity2. Clear resiliency focus3. Project relevance and impact4. Community engagement5. Likelihood of match with University courses6. External partnerships

PROGRAM COSTRanges from $80,000–$180,000 Funds can come from many sourcesPartner must act as sole fiscal agent

What Does This Pay For?§ 15- to 18-month partnership§ Community outreach prior to partnership§ Project matching, scoping, and preparation§ Student work on 10–25 projects over three academic terms§ Ongoing project management and communications support§ Staff orientation, kickoff event, and end-of-year event§ Assistance prioritizing recommendations for implementation

POSSIBLE FUNDING SOURCESGeneral/department budgetsCity/county governmentRedevelopment agenciesHousing authoritiesPark districtsSchool districtsWatershed districtsUtilitiesTransit districtsNeighboring cities

Metropolitan CouncilState agencies (DNR, MPCA, DEED)

Federal agenciesNeighborhood organizations/HOAsBusinesses/business associationsChambers of commercePrivate partners/developersPhilanthropic organizationsNonprofit organizationsHigher education institutions

COMMUNITY BENEFITSIncreased capacity (1000s of hours of student time)Harnesses student creativity and energyExpands the conversationProvides increased credibility with decision makers‘Tests the waters’ for riskier solutionsOffers multidisciplinary perspectives on issues

STUDENT BENEFITS

Meaningful projects that provide a community benefit

Experience addressing real issues and problems

Opportunities to work across disciplines

Professional networking opportunities

Real-world experience for resume, portfolio, interviews

WHAT PAST PARTICIPANTS HAVE TO SAY

“[T]he word got out in Minnetonka that we were doing this, and a lot of our

residents started to ask questions about what we were doing and what issues we

were considering, and were impressed that we were partnering with the University

to do these projects. . . I wouldn’t underestimate the goodwill and the good PR that

comes from participating in the RCP program.”

—Julie Wischnack, Community Development Director, Minnetonka

“Not only did we get fantastic work, but I think its really reinvigorated city staff to be

around students and faculty who have different ways of thinking and different ways

of approaching an idea. It has been an absolutely wonderful experience.”

—Susan Thomas, Principal Planner, Minnetonka

“What I would say to a community considering RCP is that you’d be crazy not to. . .

partner with you guys. When we were first pitched this idea, there were some of us on

the city council that were like, What is this? How much is this going to cost us? What is

this going to do for us? I was one of those that was on the fence at first. But now,

seeing the results, the ideas that have come out of the partnership that we could have

never come up with, and the amount of information—I mean, 24 projects! That’s a lot

of projects that would have taken us years and years to do on our own. So, for any

community that’s even thinking about doing this, do it. It’s well, well worth it.”

—Rich Gates, City Council Member, Brooklyn Park

The value of an RCP partnership is that projects are community-identified and community-

led. As a result, students create products to inform the work that communities are doing

or want to be doing. They increase access to information [which]. . .results in local staff

who are equipped to make more informed decisions, find improved efficiencies, and

ultimately create a more responsive government.

—Nate Kabat, Planner, Carver County

QUESTIONS?www.rcp.umn.edu

@RCPumn

rcp@umn.edu

612-625-7501

Photos by Carissa Slotterback, Mike Greco, Steve Schneider, and Jonathan Miller