Calling all municipalities, agencies or businesses with great sustainability projects in need of innovative, cutting-edge thinkers. The Southern Illinois University Edwardsville Successful Communities Collaborative (SSCC) is looking to collaborate with a community partner during its inaugural year, which will run from fall 2018 through spring 2019.
The SSCC is accepting applications through Thursday, March 15 for a community partner in the Metro East or St. Louis area through Thursday, March 15, according to Connie Frey Spurlock, PhD, SSCC faculty director and associate professor in the Department of Sociology.
SSCC is a yearlong partnership between SIUE and a regional community. The community partner identifies sustainability and livability projects that would benefit from SIUE expertise. Faculty from across the University incorporate these projects into their courses, and engage graduate and upper-level undergraduate students in the projects, reported Tim Engelman, SSCC program director and associate director of Educational Outreach.
“SSCC matches SIUE students with a regional community for a full academic year. The community partner receives assistance with 10-25 community-defined sustainability projects,” Engelman added. “These projects will be incorporated into 15-20 SIUE courses across up to 12 academic departments. More than 400 students could potentially be involved.”
Projects may include engineering, urban design, planning, cost-benefit analysis, economic development, legal and policy analysis, community engagement, and public relations campaigns, among others.
The SSCC’s pilot year started in September 2017 and will end in May. “We are pleased with the work we have done and are still doing with the City of Highland and the Village of Godfrey,” said Frey Spurlock. “The City of Highland and an SIUE nursing course are working on 
ways to increase awareness and education about opioid abuse. In Godfrey, students from the Department of Applied Health within the School of Education, Health and Human Behavior, are working on a recycling program.”
The criteria for a successful SSCC community partner include:
- The proposed projects will enhance the sustainability of the community
- The proposed projects will correlate with courses being offered at SIUE
- The partner will demonstrate the level of commitment required to complete the projects
To apply or for more information, contact Frey Spurlock at cfrey@siue.edu or Engelman at tengelm@siue.edu.
SIUE’s Successful Communities Collaborative initiative is fashioned after the Educational Partnerships for Innovation in Communities (EPIC) model created in 2009 by the University of Oregon. The University joined EPIC, a network of more than 30 colleges and universities in March 2017.
Photos:
Connie Frey Spurlock, SSCC faculty director and associate professor in the Department of Sociology.
Tim Engelman, SSCC program director and associate director of Educational Outreach.