University of Wisconsin-Stevens Point
EN-9: Community Partnerships

There are numerous outreach and extension programs associated with the College of Natural Resources. The Center for Land Use Education (CLUE) is one example. It is a joint venture of the College of Natural Resources (CNR) at UWSP and Cooperative Extension in collaboration with UW System institutions. It is a focal point for land use planning and management education. CLUE's mission is to create learning opportunities for communities to help them make sound land use decisions that result in a sustainable Wisconsin. Their decisions are legally, ethically, ecologically, and economically sound. "Eco-Municipalities and Sustainability" is one project of CLUE; there are many others related to sustainability. The Central Wisconsin Sustainability Newsletter is produced by CLUE. The CNR's WI Center for Environmental Education (WCEE) is focusing on Education for sustainability (EfS). The WCEE works with the local community and school district, and partners around the state with other school districts and communities. http://www.uwsp.edu/cnr-ap/wcee/Pages/overview.aspx

The Partnership for Thriving Communities will provide the framework through which the university will become more responsive to local needs, and more relevant to solving regional problems by embracing the sustainability principles of “Planet, People, and Profit.” This partnership is currently in progress to being fully initiated.

A new partnership involving the College of Professional Studies (CPS) Cafe, Central Rivers Farmshed and the University of Wisconsin-Stevens Point will give students a broader food management experience while meeting a community need and reducing food waste. Farmshed’s new community kitchen at the former Sorenson’s greenhouse on Briggs Court will be a site for community members to learn how to preserve locally grown food. Fresh fruits and vegetables unsold at farmers markets will be purchased and processed, and then they will be available at local food pantries or for sale. For over three years, Farmshed has partnered with UWSP to host interns and student AmeriCorps members who gain valuable experience while helping the community non-profit achieve its goals of a healthy, sustainable, and just local food economy. Student volunteers partner with Farmshed staff and community volunteers to produce the annual “Farmer Appreciation Dinner”, a fall celebration of the hard work that small-scale, community farmers must do to grow healthy local foods. The student organization Students for Sustainability hosts a community film series at the Farmshed greenhouse to help inform citizens in the region about the connections between food, health, and community vitality. Several UWSP faculty and staff serve on the Farmshed board of directors, and the organization’s staff is 100% made up of UWSP graduates. Many faculty and staff are members of the Central Rivers Farmshed network and are officers on the executive committee of the nonprofit organization. http://www.farmshed.org/index.php/about-us http://www.stevenspointjournal.com/story/life/2015/01/02/cps-cafe-farmshed-partnership-benefits-students-community/21176325/