The Resilient Communities Project (RCP) at the University of Minnesota is now accepting letters of intent from cities, counties, tribal governments, and regional partnerships that wish to apply to be RCP’s community partner for the 2018–2019 academic year (September 1, 2018 to August 31, 2019). The selection process is competitive, and the partner community must support the effort through dedicated staff time and a local financial contribution. The successful applicant will benefit from approximately 20,000 to 60,000 hours of work by University of Minnesota students and faculty, from a variety of disciplines, working to advance the partner’s sustainability and resilience projects. The partner city/county must support the effort through dedicated staff time and a local financial contribution. The selection process is competitive. More information about the RCP application process can be found here. Why apply to be RCP’s community partner? Nobody knows the answer to that question better than our past community partners, which have included Carver County and the Cities of Minnetonka, North St. Paul, Rosemount, Brooklyn Park, and Ramsey. Here’s what they’d like you to know about the value of their experience with RCP:
“While it’s hard to estimate what it would have cost the County and its partners to hire consultants to work on all these projects, we do know this has been a much more cost-effective approach that has yielded excellent results. We see these projects as something that will benefit local communities for years to come.”
—James Ische, Chair, Carver County Board of Commissioners
“This entire RCP process. . .is such a well-oiled machine. It’s a true testament to [RCP’s] vision for connecting education with the real world. Introducing fresh ideas into our innovation efforts has ignited a spark for me and the Innovation Leadership Team. We are grateful to have been a part of this journey. . . It’s been a ride I’ll never forget!”
—Lorraine Brady, IT Project Manager, Carver County
“What we received ultimately was very high quality, and it was great information for us as a City Council to look at, plan, and figure out how to utilize the information going forward in a positive way for the citizens in our community.”
—Rosemount Mayor William Droste
"Most of the projects were known priority needs prior to the city’s participation in the RCP program. Were it not for RCP, North St. Paul would not have been able to address those issue in a timely and cost effective manner. In our view, the RCP program was a vehicle by which the city could tap the numerous resources of the university for the betterment of our residents future."
—Paul Ammerman, Community Development Director, North St. Paul
"I think it really elevates the community’s opinion of the city because we have partnered with someone with a good reputation to do the work of the city. I think people can see that as both an efficient way to do business but also a smart way to do the city’s business. I wouldn’t underestimate the goodwill and the good PR that comes from participating in the RCP program.”
—Julie Wischnack, Community Development Director, City of Minnetonka
“Not only did we get fantastic work, but I think it’s really reinvigorated city staff. . .to be around students [and] faculty who have different ways of thinking and different ways of approaching an idea. So it has been an absolutely wonderful experience.”
—Susan Thomas, Principal Planner, City of Minnetonka
Is your city, county, or tribal government ready to be inspired and reinvigorated by a partnership with RCP? Let us know by submitting a letter of intent by October 15. If you have questions about RCP, the letter of intent, or the application process, please contact Mike Greco, RCP Director, [email protected] or 612-625-7501.