The Iowa Initiative for Sustainable Communities (IISC) capped another ambitious community project on May 2. University of Iowa students from a variety of programs offered presentations to local representatives and community members of Dubuque. With a focus on climate action, the City of Dubuque provided learning opportunities for more than 100 Iowa students this year. These included the Alternative Transportation Action Plan by the School of Planning and Public Affairs as well as the Stormwater Design for Climate Resilience and Cool Roof Design for the Five Flags Civic Center by the Civil & Environmental Engineering department.
Mason Koelm, a student at the College of Law, took part in the Community Empowerment Law Project which works with the Community Foundation of Greater Dubuque to better understand the issue of chronic absenteeism among Marshallese students and make recommendations for new policies and improved communication.
The law student says working with the Community Foundation of Greater Dubuque was an important lesson in community perspective.
“It was especially refreshing working with a broad range of folks, from recent high school alumni to retirees who all share a passion in making the world a better place, and often sharing perspectives on what that better place looks like. Seeing so many wonderful community members and leaders in Dubuque working to better the lives of a marginalized community was really eye-opening,” he notes. “Everyone we met with respected, valued, and welcomed our involvement, and that was extremely rewarding. As much as we worked to empower, include, and provide a sense of belonging and purpose for Marshallese students, our work in this project empowered us.”
Koelm adds that the project has offered valuable experience as he heads into the job market.
“I am able to finish my education and transition to a career with a project that had direct impact and exposed me to the power of a community banding together for a common cause,” he affirms.
During the partnership celebration, Gina Bell, Director of Sustainable Dubuque, and Mayor Brad Cavanagh accepted the award for Outstanding Community Partners on behalf of the City of Dubuque. Daria Fisher Page (Law) was recognized with an Outstanding Faculty Award for her leadership of the Community Empowerment Law Project (CELP).
Hannah Lyons, a graduate student in Sustainable Development, also accepted the award for Outstanding Student for her dedication to Dubuque's first comprehensive Affordable Housing Action Plan. Her four-person team set out to consolidate existing documents, analyze the state of affordable housing in Dubuque, and provide tailored recommendations of innovative and best-practice solutions for the city. Lyons says projects like this are a win-win for education and communities.
"For students, IISC partnerships help with the transition from in-the-books to on-the-ground. For cities, IISC partnerships provide not only additional capacity to address community priorities like affordable housing, but also fresh perspectives," she explains. "Personally, this project was empowering because I knew that my work would go beyond the gradebook, offering me the opportunity to learn while making a real difference for Dubuque residents."
Further reading: https://iisc.uiowa.edu/partners/dubuque