The Iowa Initiative for Sustainable Communities is excited to announce that our students and faculty will be working in Bondurant and Dubuque during the 2023-24 academic year. These two communities, selected out of a pool of strong applications, will provide unique opportunities for University of Iowa students to apply their learning through hands-on projects that will benefit the state of Iowa.

Located just north of Des Moines in Polk County, Bondurant has needs in the areas of infrastructure and quality of life amenities as it responds to its rapidly increasing population. Two projects on the horizon are a public art installation at a highway overpass and a new trail system.

Dubuque, which was an IISC partner a decade ago, has become a sustainability leader in Iowa. Seeking to address inequities in how climate change is affecting its most vulnerable residents, the city hopes to work with IISC toward greater mobility for all resident while also reducing greenhouse gas emissions.

Every year IISC works with one or two Iowa communities, bringing the creative force of multiple University of Iowa classes from across campus to focus on issues identified by city leaders. The program gives essential, applicable learning experiences to graduate and upper-level undergraduate students in areas ranging from planning and engineering to visual art and marketing. At the same time, it provides valuable services to community partners, including construction plans for new buildings, parks, and underpasses; creation of public art and branding materials; and large-scale studies and policy recommendations. 

In addition to these partnerships, which will provide up to 15 projects each in Bondurant and Dubuque, IISC welcomes inquiries regarding individual projects. Please reach out to Jennifer New (Jennifer-new@uiowa.edu), Community Engagement Specialist, to discuss a specific project idea.