| Overall Rating | Gold |
|---|---|
| Overall Score | 73.33 |
| Liaison | Maria Dahmus |
| Submission Date | Nov. 30, 2023 |
University of St. Thomas
IN-47: Innovation A
| Status | Score | Responsible Party |
|---|---|---|
|
0.50 / 0.50 |
Maria
Dahmus Director Office of Sustainability Initiatives |
Name or title of the innovative policy, practice, program, or outcome:
A brief description of the innovative policy, practice, program, or outcome that outlines how credit criteria are met and any positive measurable outcomes associated with the innovation:
The Office of Sustainability Initiatives' Sustainability Arts Initiative invites the campus community to explore interconnections of human and ecological well-being on campus and in our community through arts-based experiential engagement. Students across majors collaborate with local artists, writers, and communities to bring to life community-identified sustainability goals and research findings for people of all ages.
Inspired by the transformative impacts of efforts that bridge art and sustainability, St. Thomas’ Sustainable Communities Partnership (SCP) developed the SCP Arts Initiative to create partnerships with local artists, SCP partners, and students to translate SCP project findings into artwork to engage the broader community. SCP and partners share the resulting artwork in their communities and beyond, bringing to life partners’ sustainability projects for people of all ages. This program was initiated in 2018 and is ongoing at the time of this report's submittal.
In 2022, the SCP Arts initiative was expanded to engage the entire campus community and external community and is now known as the Sustainability Arts Initiative. The Sustainability Arts Initiative invites the community to explore the interconnections of ecological and human well-being through arts-based experiential engagement, including visual arts and writing.
Examples of community-wide engagement in arts-based experiential engagement to bring to life community sustainability goals include:
- Mississippi River Stories
Virtual exhibit: https://www.mwmo.org/learn/visit-us/exhibits/mississippi-river-stories/
Newsroom article: https://news.stthomas.edu/sharing-mississippi-river-stories-through-art/
- The Power of Storytelling for Environmental Justice in Our Communities
Winning entries published on project partner Saint Paul Almanac's website: https://saintpaulalmanac.org/2022/12/12/environmental-injustice-storytelling-contest-winners/
Newsroom Article: https://news.stthomas.edu/the-power-of-storytelling-for-environmental-justice-in-our-communities/
- On Care for Our Common Home: Community Art Project
https://sway.office.com/o3mNV0Fo5LElCLIR?ref=Link
A letter of affirmation from an individual with relevant expertise or a press release or publication featuring the innovation :
The website URL where information about the innovation is available :
Additional documentation to support the submission:
Data source(s) and notes about the submission:
The Sustainable Communities Partnership (SCP) Arts Initiative was submitted as an Innovation credit for the 2021 STARS report. In 2022, the SCP Arts initiative was expanded to engage the entire campus community and external community to explore the interconnections of ecological and human well-being through arts-based experiential engagement, including visual arts and writing and is now known as the Sustainability Arts Initiative.
The Sustainable Communities Partnership (SCP) Arts Initiative was submitted as an Innovation credit for the 2021 STARS report. In 2022, the SCP Arts initiative was expanded to engage the entire campus community and external community to explore the interconnections of ecological and human well-being through arts-based experiential engagement, including visual arts and writing and is now known as the Sustainability Arts Initiative.
The information presented here is self-reported. While AASHE staff review portions of all STARS reports and institutions are welcome to seek additional forms of review, the data in STARS reports are not verified by AASHE. If you believe any of this information is erroneous or inconsistent with credit criteria, please review the process for inquiring about the information reported by an institution or simply email your inquiry to stars@aashe.org.