About The University of Iowa’s Resource Conservation & Development (RC&D) Partnership is a community engagement initiative that partners the University of Iowa with Iowa’s resource Conservation & Development non-profit organizations to help build strong, sustainable communities and improve the quality of life in Iowa. The University of Iowa works with the RC&Ds through a variety of projects, workshops, and grant collaborations that cover topics including environmental conservation, sustainable development, arts and culture, economic development, community health and wellness, and non-profit development.
The RC&D Partnership provides numerous opportunities for students and faculty at the University of Iowa to connect with communities across the state, utilizing both student-led community engagement, where students complete real-world projects in their academic courses and community-based research, where faculty and staff collaborate with the RC&Ds to complete research within communities in Iowa. Through this partnership, the University of Iowa and Iowa’s Resource Conservation & Development organizations demonstrate their renewed commitment to serving the people and communities of the state.
Current Projects
Spring 2019: Treynor Walkability - residents and community leaders are working to improve walkabililty and bikeability through trail development, traffic-calming measures, and more.
Sidney Safe Routes- Sidney Hometown pride is working with UI to plan a trail connecting the town of Sidney to the school just outside of town.
Previous Projects
Essex Gym Redevelopment(Fall 2018) - UI students worked with community leaders in Essex to repurpose a former school gym into a community center with public programs and activities.
Admiral Trail (Spring 2018) Students did preliminary planning work for this multi-use trail, which will connect the Wabash Trace Nature Trail in Shenandoah with the community of Farragut in Fremont County along a former railroad line.
Iowa School for the Deaf (Spring 2018) Students provided preliminary engineering and design services for land at the Iowa School for the Deaf in Council Bluffs. Plans include trail and outdoor recreation improvements, pollinator habitat, and more.
Red Oak Levee Trail (Spring 2018) Students worked with the community of Red Oak on preliminary engineering and planning for a multi-use trail along a river levee on the west side of town that would link into the city's existing trail system.
Office of the State Archeologist Summer Book Tour Golden Hills RC&D collaborated on the Office of the State Archeologist summer book tour by holding a book signing event at the Bodega Victoriana in Glenwood, Iowa in June 2015.
Nonprofit Organizational Effectiveness II Grant Search Project Golden Hills RC&D partnered with students to research funding opportunities as part of a course introducing them to leadership and management skills needed for the effective day-to-day operation of nonprofit organizations.
Macedonia Folk Art Center Design Project Golden Hills partnered with a Design & Management Civil Engineering course to design a project for the proposed Macedonia Folk Art Center. Students designed and addressed engineering solutions related to the building site.