Paths Toward Sustainable & Just Community Engagement

As a research, academic institution the University of Illinois at Chicago recognizes the past and present exploitative nature the university has created while engaging with surrounding communities. From failure to establish long-term partnerships, barriers in accessing resources, and lack of transparency. To foster urban resilience, research, academic institutions, like UIC, need to create campus-wide equitable models for community engagement through an anti-racist lens.

In collaboration with Urban Growers Collective, UIC Partnerships for Anti-racist Campus Transformation (PACT), UIC Office of Planning, Sustainability and Project Management (PSPM), and UIC E2S Climate Hub we invite community members, UIC faculty, staff and students to the E2S Climate Hub: Paths Toward Sustainable and Just Community Engagement open forum. The forum is a continuation of the IPCE Climate Justice event held April 2021 where community participants noted concerns of barriers in creating effective university-community partnerships. Findings of best practices for fostering equitable university-community partnerships will be shared from the Accelerating University-Community Partnerships for Climate Justice project. In addition, the open forum will focus on establishing a standard framework to create equitable community engagement.

Participation stipends will be provided for the first 20 representatives of different community groups. Attendance is required. *1 stipend per community group*