UI students meet with members of the Leeds neighborhood in northeast Sioux Citiy to talk about the history of the area.

University of Iowa students meet with residents of the Leeds neighborhood in northeast Sioux City, to talk about the history of the area and why they want to revitalize the community. Photo by Kirk Murray.

Sustainable Iowa

UI student work in sustainable community development highlighted in Dec. 10 Lunch & Learn lecture at IMU

Friday, November 21, 2014

Written by: Mary Geraghty Kenyon

University of Iowa students have a hand in supporting the viability of a number of Iowa communities for years to come through the Iowa Initiative for Sustainable Communities (IISC.)

Chuck Connerly, director of the School of Urban and Regional Planning launched the project six year ago and Nick Benson now directs it. Together they will present, “Enhancing Sustainability in Iowa Through Community Engagement,” on Wednesday, Dec. 10, at noon, in the Iowa Memorial Union Iowa Theater.

Their presentation continues the UI’s popular Hawkeye Lunch and Learn series. Guests are invited to bring their lunches—desserts and drinks will be provided. The event is free and open to the public, however seating is limited. Please RSVP online.

The IISC started in the School of Urban and Regional Planning and has grown to a campus-wide effort in which students from a number of disciplines work on projects to enhance the capacity of Iowa's communities to be more sustainable.

“Through community-engaged learning, the university supports Iowa’s communities by helping to address important economic, environmental and socio-cultural issues,” says Benson, the director of Community Development and Outreach for the Provost’s Office of Outreach & Engagement.

He and Connerly will discuss how the program operates, highlight projects completed over the last few years in communities such as Muscatine and Dubuque, as well as projects currently underway in Sioux City, Winneshiek County, and Iowa City, and look ahead to the future of sustainability and community engagement at Iowa.

The Hawkeye Lunch and Learn series offers monthly events in Des Moines and Iowa City designed to connect Iowa communities, university faculty, and government and industry leaders. The Provost’s Office of Outreach and Engagement sponsors the series. To view a listing of upcoming events, visit discover.uiowa.edu.

Individuals with disabilities are encouraged to attend all UI-sponsored events. If you are a person with a disability who requires a reasonable accommodation to participate in this program, contact the Office of the Provost in advance at 319-335-3565.