Event Title
The Critical Role Colleges Can Play in Stabilizing and Renewing Low-Income Communities Around Them, While Ground-truthing the Liberal Arts Experience
Location
Donnelley Theatre, Heimbold Visual Arts Center
Start Date
15-11-2014 2:00 PM
End Date
15-11-2014 2:45 PM
Abstract
Colleges and major universities are often a stone’s throw from disinvested, low-income neighborhoods across the United States, yet the connection they make to the communities around them is often an after-thought or seen as simply a nice thing to do for students. Yet, the quality of life for everyone at these institutions is linked to these neighborhoods and there is often a huge, unrealized opportunity to use the immense resources of such institutions (faculty, students, and real-estate development funds) to play a pivotal role in providing opportunities for local people and even fundamentally re-shaping these neighborhoods, not just for the benefit of students, but for the community as a whole. Two case examples will be used – Yonkers (SLC) and IUPUI in Indianapolis.
Presenter Biography
Rick Magder is the founding Executive Director of Groundwork Hudson Valley and the Executive Director of Groundwork USA, both based in Yonkers, NY. At Groundwork he oversees all programs and initiatives, including community gardens, playground restoration, the Saw Mill River Coalition, Youth Green Team, and now the Science Barge, among others. Prior to starting Groundwork nearly a decade ago, Magder worked for nonprofits and city government in New York City and Washington D.C., where he focused on environmental, public housing and community health issues. Past affiliations include the Regional Plan Association, the Children’s Health Fund, the NYC Commission on Child Health, the Population Reference Bureau, and the National Audubon Society. Magder has a Masters Degree in Public Administration (MPA) from Columbia University and a Bachelors Degree in Literature, Science and the Arts (BA) from the University of Michigan. He lives in Yonkers now with his wife and two children, but grew up in Detroit, Michigan.
Streaming Media
The Critical Role Colleges Can Play in Stabilizing and Renewing Low-Income Communities Around Them, While Ground-truthing the Liberal Arts Experience
Donnelley Theatre, Heimbold Visual Arts Center
Colleges and major universities are often a stone’s throw from disinvested, low-income neighborhoods across the United States, yet the connection they make to the communities around them is often an after-thought or seen as simply a nice thing to do for students. Yet, the quality of life for everyone at these institutions is linked to these neighborhoods and there is often a huge, unrealized opportunity to use the immense resources of such institutions (faculty, students, and real-estate development funds) to play a pivotal role in providing opportunities for local people and even fundamentally re-shaping these neighborhoods, not just for the benefit of students, but for the community as a whole. Two case examples will be used – Yonkers (SLC) and IUPUI in Indianapolis.