California State University, Fresno
EN-10: Community Partnerships

GEOBOND is a collaboration between the Department of Earth and Environmental Sciences at Fresno State (four year college) and multiple local two-year colleges to create a novel student support system for undergraduate geoscience students that accommodates the various pathways through which they join the program at Fresno State: first-time freshmen, change of major, and transfer students. The project involves three-mutually reinforcing activities: 1) Developing an undergraduate Geoscience Learning Community cohort program that includes a connected sequence of courses, co-curricular professional development activities, and scaffolded research experiences; 2) forming a Professional Learning Community to collaboratively re-design geoscience courses across partner institutions that incorporate environmental justice themes and evidence-based teaching strategies; and 3) establishing a Community-Based Research Program to investigate local environmental issues in collaboration with community organizations and geoscience professionals. The project will advance knowledge about which strategies are most effective for recruiting and retaining undergraduate students and creating inclusive environments in the geosciences that are attractive and supportive to students from groups that have been historically excluded in STEM.

The Department of Earth and Environmental Sciences at Fresno State engages local school districts as well as local public agencies in their Community-Based Research Program. Students gain the opportunity to learn more about how to apply the concepts they learn in the classroom to solve real-world challenges by working alongside a community partner. Some examples are provided below:

1. In collaboration with the San Joaquin River Restoration Program and the San Joaquin River Conservancy, students are investigating sediments in the river to assess physical variables that influence habitat suitability for salmon. Students have the opportunity to visit the river and collect samples, investigate the samples in the lab, and then prepare a scientific report for the local agencies.

2. In collaboration with the Math, Engineering, and Science Achievement program at Fresno State, K-12 students from various cities across the Central Valley are brought to the university to learn various topics in STEM. Pre-service teachers as well as students from the Department of Earth and Environmental Sciences get the opportunity to develop and deliver an age appropriate lesson in earth/environmental science using active learning techniques.

Read more here: https://csm.fresnostate.edu/ees/research/eescommunityprojects.html

The SPARCI Project is a partnership between Fresno State’s Department of Recreation Administration and parks and recreation agencies in the San Joaquin Valley. SPARCI is a pilot project to determine if communities are interested in engaging the broader university community in idea generation and problem solving. If accepted into the program, park and recreation agencies will have access to many faculty and students to focus on needs of the agency.

Students, through their course work, engage in meaningful real-world projects and contribute to the quality of life of residents in a community in the valley. Students from across the University assist local governments with partner-directed projects that address their smart growth, quality of life, parks, recreation programs, and sustainability goals.

Students and faculty connect with high-priority, high-need community projects, thereby generating interest and fresh ideas that create momentum and provide real service to the community. The interface provided by students and faculty provide an avenue for the city to engage the community on a controversial issue.

Read more here: https://chhs.fresnostate.edu/recreation/community-engagement/sparci.html