Resilient Communities Project - University of Minnesota

Calling all enrolled UMN graduate students! We are currently hiring RCP Scholars for the following projects:
🌱 Natural Resource Protection Project (Hennepin County)
🌡️ Heat Risk Assessment Map GIS Project (Hennepin County)
⚡ Program Evaluation—Assessing RCP's Impact (Resilient Communities Project)
🏠 Historic Property Nomination Project (City of Chaska)

Learn More: https://rcp.umn.edu/students/rcp-scholars-program

Did you miss our pre-application webinar yesterday? Learn more about types of projects we typically accept, the application process, and Metropolitan Council matching funds!

▶️ Video: https://vimeo.com/1061002261?share=copy
➡️ Slides:https://rcp.umn.edu/sites/rcp.umn.edu/files/2025-02/RCP%2BMC%20Webinar%202.27.25_0.pdf
💥 Apply: https://rcp.umn.edu/applying-rcp-partnership

RCP 2025-2026 Pre-Application Webinar Learn about RCP program eligibility, types of projects we typically accept, the application process, and Metropolitan Council matching funds for metro area applicants.

Our pre-application webinar is one week away! Are you registered?
➡️ https://rcp.umn.edu/applying-rcp-partnership

Join us on Thursday, February 27 at 11 AM to learn about program eligibility, types of projects we typically accept, the application process, and Metropolitan Council of the Twin Cities matching funds for metro area applicants. An opportunity for Q&A will follow the presentation.

Did you know that RCP can help your local government agency with...
💡 Case study and best practices analysis
💡 Qualitative and quantitative data collection and analysis
💡 Program evaluation
💡 Community audits or inventories
💡 GIS mapping
💡 Branding and marketing campaigns
💡 Culturally responsive programming and services
💡 Outreach and engagement
💡 Model ordinance development
.. and much more.

👀 Interested? Attend our 2/27 pre-application webinar:

Applying for an RCP Partnership | Resilient Communities Project Applications OpenMeet With UsDo yo

Do you have a project idea for a 2025 Resilient Communities Project partnership? Attend our pre-application webinar on Thurs. Feb. 27 at 11 AM to learn:

🔺 program eligibility
🔺 types of projects we typically accept
🔺 the application process
🔺 Metropolitan Council matching funds for metro area applicants

Learn more & register: https://rcp.umn.edu/applying-rcp-partnership

📣 We are now accepting proposals from local government agencies anywhere in Minnesota for 2025-2026 partnerships to address your community's research and technical assistance needs.

"There is positive energy that comes with working with students on projects. Having multiple disciplines look at these topics was really invaluable." - Previous RCP partner

Learn more: https://rcp.umn.edu/applying-rcp-partnership

📰 The latest edition of the RCP Newsletter is here!

Meet our 2024-2025 local government community partners, learn how you can apply for our program, celebrate Center for Urban & Regional Affairs - CURA graduate student research, and much more: https://mailchi.mp/umn/rcp-newsletter-fall24

When the City of Edina, MN (Local Government) wanted to know whether its 2030 population density targets were sufficient to meet its transportation and climate goals, it turned to a group of students with the University of Minnesota’s Resilient Communities Project (RCP).

Read more: https://rcp.umn.edu/whats-new/students-analyze-population-density-role-edinas-climate-action-plan

As a graduate student, Ashley Petel developed a site assessment tool that helps Washington County staff determine land resilience and restore valuable natural resources. 🍃 🌎

Read the full story: https://rcp.umn.edu/whats-new/new-tool-helps-local-governments-protect-natural-resources

The project was made possible through a multi-year partnership between Washington County, MN Government, the Metropolitan Council, and the Resilient Communities Project (RCP).

cc: CFANS Center for Urban & Regional Affairs - CURA

🚨 We're hiring a student storyteller! 🚨 This is a part-time position for currently enrolled University of Minnesota students.

Learn more: https://hr.myu.umn.edu/jobs/extstu/365217
Job ID: 365217
Preferred deadline: Friday, Nov. 15

cc: Center for Urban & Regional Affairs - CURA Communication Studies, University of Minnesota University of Minnesota Hubbard School of Journalism & Mass Communication Writing Studies, UMN University of Minnesota English

Great article from MinnPost on how the University of Minnesota is supporting small communities throughout the state! RCP Director Mike Greco serves as the 11-county Twin Cities metro area coordinator for this initiative.

RCP is proud to be part of this team along with Humphrey School of Public Affairs, UMN College of Design, U of MN Extension Regional Sustainable Development Partnerships, and Center for Transportation Studies - University of Minnesota.

U of M helps out with community projects in small Minnesota towns In 2023, the Legislature set aside funding for community centers and other local projects supported by university entities.

⏰ Act by Tuesday, Oct. 15 to schedule a meeting to discuss your project idea: https://forms.gle/xTFT9LpVtfMwwXSX9

📢 Calling all MN communities with populations under 15,000!

❗Tap into historic federal and state funding opportunities for infrastructure by applying for the Empowering Small Minnesota Communities program (ESMC).

👉 Act by Oct. 15 to schedule a meeting to discuss your project idea: https://forms.gle/277BnyhrRUpG6j8f7

🤝 RCP Director Mike Greco serves as the 11-county Twin Cities metropolitan area coordinator for the ESMC initiative. The program is open statewide.

We are proud to be part of this initiative, which is open to MN communities >15,000 population (including the Twin Cities metro). Phase II funding is open now: https://www.cts.umn.edu/programs/empoweringcommunities/apply

The University of Minnesota's new Empowering Small Minnesota Communities (ESMC) program is benefiting many communities across the state. The program is driven by 2023 legislation that allocated funds to the University to support small community partnerships.

The partnerships will help identify how small communities can utilize their assets to create infrastructure and projects that support community vitality: https://ow.ly/6ZLK50TvL8w ⭐️🤝

📢 Calling all MN communities with populations under 15,000!

❗Tap into historic federal and state funding opportunities for infrastructure by applying for the Empowering Small Minnesota Communities program (ESMC).

👉 Act by Oct. 15 to schedule a meeting to discuss your project idea: https://forms.gle/277BnyhrRUpG6j8f7

🤝 RCP Director Mike Greco serves as the 11-county Twin Cities metropolitan area coordinator for the ESMC initiative. The program is open statewide.

We are so proud of our outstanding graduate student researchers! Big thanks to our local government partners from City of Duluth, MN Government and Metropolitan Council who were able to attend this student showcase event last week.

At the American Planning Association Minnesota Chapter conference today, three Humphrey School of Public Affairs graduate students received the Outstanding Student Project award for an RCP project on indigenous history and placemaking with the City of La Crescent.

Using interviews and community engagement methods, the student project team worked with indigenous Ho-Chunk and Dakota residents of the La Crescent area to devise a framework for the creation of public spaces that acknowledge and celebrate indigenous history and culture.

Congratulations, Gillian Greenberg, Mason Mollberg, Edgar Leon Gomez, and faculty advisor Peter Brown for this tremendous honor! 🎉

Read their final report: https://hdl.handle.net/11299/263567

Exciting news! An RCP sponsored capstone project won the American Planning Association Minnesota Chapter’s Outstanding Student Project for "To Acknowledge and to Celebrate: Indigenous Placemaking on Hoocak and Dakota Homelands."

Humphrey School of Public Affairs students Gillian Greenberg, Mason Mollberg, and Edgar Leon Gomez identified opportunities for the City of La Crescent, Minnesota to share the history and celebrate the culture of indigenous communities that inhabit the land in and around the city, as they develop a plan for public spaces in the community.

Students will receive the award during the APA MN 2024 conference on September 19.

Read the full student report here: https://hdl.handle.net/11299/263567