SCP Blog Archive

SCP Arts: Project Spotlight

December 17, 2018 Maria Dahmus, SCP Director

Students in Dr. Olga Herrera’s English course gather watercolors and paint brushes. Their task: connect art and storytelling. This project seeks to humanize data from the Climate Vulnerability Assessment so that city officials and policy makers can understand the human experience behind the graphs and numbers.

Students dive into research with Metro Transit data

May 7, 2018 SCP

The 2018 Economics Dept's DataCom was a huge success! Five student teams spent weeks combing through Metro Transit ridership data to conduct original research.

Partner Highlight: Metro Transit

March 14, 2018 SCP

Metro Transit is collaborating with St. Thomas courses to tackle important issues and provide students with hands-on learning experiences that make a real-world difference.

The following is arranged on top of a sheet of cardboard, as a model of a nature playground made from natural material. Three empty toilet paper rolls taped together and have a string hanging down to make swings. Pink plastic lids of dish detergent bottles are strung together. Empty can of tomatoes. Empty kleenex boxes are in the background.

Gerbils, Road Runners, & Freshmen Help Design Natural Playgrounds for City of Big Lake

March 1, 2018 SCP

Picture this: sixteen preschoolers titter with excitement as Snappy the Gerbil explores a mini-playground that these youngsters built themselves out of egg cartons, toilet paper rolls, and construction paper. Pretty adorable, right? But there is something deeper going on too.

OPMT 360 helps City of Big Lake explore transition to a paperless system

December 20, 2017 SCP

Students explore the costs, benefits, and processes of switching to an electronic system for file storage for the City of Big Lake.

Students explore impacts of human activity on Lake Como over time

December 19, 2017 SCP

GEOL 462 students study lake sediment to understand environmental changes over time.

SCP Brings Artists, Scientists, and Engineers Together

December 14, 2017 Dr. Peter Gittins, SCP Project Lead

Engineering Senior Design Students collaborated with the Gymnasium through SCP’s first sustainability and art project: the AirBooth. Envisioned by the Gymnasium, the AirBooth allows participants to experience air quality data through an engaging audio-visual encounter. Engineering students are taking on the challenge of building AirBooth to make sound using air itself.

Students Help Characterize & Address Local Climate Change Challenges

December 13, 2017 SCP

ENGL 315 SCP Project works with Metropolitan Council to understand challenges facing local communities trying to address climate change.

COJO SCP project works to increase UST student use of mass transit

November 27, 2017 SCP

SCP project develops strategic communication campaign to increase UST student use of mass transit.

Students and Partners Share Perspectives on SCP

May 19, 2017 MacKenzie Burke, SCP Intern

Sustainable Communities Partnership (SCP) course projects welcome college students into conversations with city and community partners to address real life challenges facing communities today. Interviews with students and partners from last semester highlight many of the unique benefits of this collaboration. For many students, last semester’s experiences gave them a new sense of voice and autonomy in the classroom and beyond.

Community Ethnography Toolkit: Hope Gives Rise to More Ethnographies and Collective Discovery

April 11, 2017 Mackenzie Burke, SCP Intern

Dr. Maria Dahmus, Assistant Director of the Office of Sustainability Initiatives, and Dr. Todd Lawrence, professor of spring semester’s Ethnography Writing class, share their insights on the ethnographic toolkit project now underway.

In Collaboration with Elk River, Students Adopt a New Approach to Discovery and Problem Solving

February 20, 2017 Mackenzie Burke, SCP Intern

For last semester’s Aquatic Biology class, collaboration with Elk River offered an invaluable and somewhat unexpected learning experience working in the field.

Urban Agriculture in North Minneapolis

May 11, 2016 Karen Lally, SCP Intern

Some might be surprised that an ethnographic writing course decided to become involved with the Sustainable Communities Partnership, mainly because the class itself is not actually structured around sustainability. The class explores questions about objectivity, the limits of representation, and the ethical responsibilities of writing about others, to name just a few.

Sustainability, Creativity, and Green Roof Installations

May 2, 2016 Karen Lally, SCP Intern

Environmental Problem Solving (ESCI 310) students are partnering with Elk River to research the benefits of green roofs and how they affect stormwater runoff.

From Vacant Lots to Pollinator Gardens

May 2, 2016 Karen Lally, SCP Intern

Environmental Problem Solving (ESCI 310) students are partnering with the Mississippi Watershed Management Organization (MWMO) to determine the best locations in the MWMO district to protect pollinator populations.

Converting Vacant Lots to Urban Agriculture Plots

May 2, 2016 Karen Lally, SCP Intern

Environmental Problem Solving (ESCI 310) students are partnering with the Mississippi Watershed Management Organization (MWMO) to examine the possible effects on stormwater runoff rates of converting vacant lots in North Minneapolis to urban agriculture plots and other alternative uses.

Local Engagement and Sustainability

April 23, 2016 Dean's Office

This spring semester, nine CAS faculty from seven departments are integrating city-identified sustainability projects into their existing courses through the Sustainable Communities Partnership (SCP). SCP is a pilot initiative in the Center for Global and Local Engagement's Office of Sustainability Initiatives. SCP partners with cities to link St. Thomas courses with local projects that engage students in the real-world application of course material and to advance the cities' sustainability goals.

Public Policy Graduate Student Collaborates with Elk River on Wetland Policy

March 30, 2016 Karen Lally, SCP Intern

Elk River is home to 1,256 wetlands, which play a key role in the community's flood management, water quality, wildlife habitat, and aesthetics. Through the Sustainable Communities Partnership, St. Thomas graduate student Andrew Erickson is collaborating with Elk River to research public policy options and recommend creative education and communication strategies to increase public awareness and participation in wetland protection.

Mississippi River Corridor Habitat Assessment

March 18, 2016 Karen Lally, SCP Intern

This semester, Dr. Lisa Lamb's Environmental Science Senior Research Seminar is partnering with the Mississippi Watershed Management Organization (MWMO) and the Minneapolis Riverfront Partnership (MRP) to assess habitat along the Mississippi River. Students will conduct several field surveys over the course of the semester to record tracks, scat, wildlife, and other features to assess which species are present in the area and how the land is being used by wildlife.

Decreasing the Use of Plastic Shopping Bags

February 29, 2016 Karen Lally, SCP Intern

This J-Term, Dr. Angela Senander’s Christian Faith and the Management Professions (THEO 422) partnered with the Sustainable Communities Partnership (SCP) and the City of Elk River to research the effects that plastic bags have on the environment and possible approaches to reducing plastic bag use in the community.

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