CHANCE collaborative receives Outstanding Partner in Engagement Award from the University of Minnesota
MINNEAPOLIS (April 23, 2008) -- West Bank CHANCE (Cedar-Humphrey Action for Neighborhood Collaborative Engagement), an initiative to strengthen the relationship between the University of Minnesota West Bank campus and the Cedar-Riverside neighborhood, received an Outstanding Partner in Engagement Award on Tuesday, April 22, as part of the University of Minnesota’s Public Engagement Day.
CHANCE is a student-led initiative that allows students to put their passion for public policy and advocacy to work in the surrounding neighborhood. CHANCE operates through the Center for Integrative Leadership, a cooperative undertaking of the Humphrey Institute of Public Affairs and the Carlson School of Management. Several students and faculty members from the Carlson School of Management, Humphrey Institute of Public Affairs, the University of Minnesota Law School, Augsburg College, as well as other businesses and organizations are involved in CHANCE.
“CHANCE is a perfect example of integrative leadership in action,” said Anna Lloyd, executive director of the Center for Integrative Leadership. “CHANCE has created new and effective partnerships between the University and the Cedar-Riverside neighborhood and strengthened local networks committed to engagement in our neighborhood. The students, faculty members, and community partners have worked across boundaries and are truly making a difference.”
Merrie Benasutti, CHANCE coordinator of community partnerships, is pleased that the University’s Office of Public Engagement created a new award category this year to recognize initiative such as CHANCE that aim to build lasting community relationships. “CHANCE is a collaborative that goes beyond traditional service learning to civic engagement,” said Benasutti.
Since its inception in 2006, CHANCE partners have:
• Designed and launched a one-year public engagement course that provides future professionals with an opportunity to work with the public to reach a common good and sustain campus/community collaboration in the Cedar-Riverside community.
• Designed and launched a capstone project for graduate students that includes community-based research projects in the neighborhood. Current projects include an arts initiative, exploring the feasibility of a park, and addressing neighborhood safety concerns.
• Sought and secured funding from the Office of Public Engagement at the University to implement a Small Business Fellows Program in collaboration with Carlson Net Impact, the African Development Center, and the Cedar-Riverside Business Association. Through this program, Carlson MBA students and faculty members will partner with immigrant businesses in the Cedar-Riverside neighborhood to develop case studies and identify key challenges for businesses.
• Partnered with the Brian Coyle Community Center to organize a neighborhood basketball showcase in which local youth have challenged the graduate students.
For more information, visit http://www.hhh.umn.edu/projects/chance/about.html, or contact Merrie Benasutti at (612) 624-8300; or Benas021@umn.edu.
###
|
