For their capstone projects, students in Civic and Environmental Engineering created designs, alternatives, scheduling, and costs to update a community center. Their work focused on several aspects of the building:  the parking lot, the building's entryway, layout and partition of the mainfloor, and connectivity of upstairs meeting room to entryway. This project is part of IISC's partnership with Pathfinders RC&D. 

University of Iowa-based artist Emily Edwards painted two murals at the Mutchler Community Center in Bloomfield, IA. With input from the staff and community, the artist created a design that brings a sense of energy and excitement to the space and serves as a memorable community touchpoint. This project is part of IISC's partnership with Pathfinders RC&D. 

Jefferson County Park consists of 254 acres that includes seven miles of hiking and biking trails winding through timber, prairie, wetlands, prairie savannas, and ponds. It is located  just south of the City of Fairfield and is the most-visited of all parks and properties stewarded by Jefferson County Conservation. With an aim to increase park usage and improve facilities, a group of five Civil & Environmental Engineering capstone students were asked to design cabins and a large multi-use structure.

The City of New Sharon sought to renovate the building that currently houses its city hall to include other city offices, including the police department and public library. For their capstone project, three students in Civil & Environmental Engineering assessed the building and created plans to increase its interior footprint. Their designs provide an ADA-compliant elevator, a new garage for police vehicles, and exterior repairs to ensure the structure's longevity.

As part of the senior design capstone project, students in Civil and Environmental Engineering designed a new subdivision on a greenfield site in New Sharon, Iowa.

For their capstone project, a team of graduate students in Urban and Regional Planning developed a comprehensive document to guide the future of downtown Oskaloosa. The Oskaloosa Downtown Master Plan focuses particularly on how use of public spaces (e.g. transportation infrastructure, public property) as well as other public support mechanisms (e.g. policies and programming) to enhance and strengthen the downtown district as the heart of the community. This project is part of IISC's partnership with Pathfinders RC&D. 

Students from the School of Library and Information Science will assist Pathfinders RC&D staff in managing, archiving, and exhibiting the vast collection of the organization's records, helping tell the story of Pathfinder's impact across the region since its formation in the 1970s. 

Students from Public Affairs and from a GIS student organization will help Pathfinders RC&D develop a statewide database and map of accessibility features in Iowa's parks, natural areas, and cultural spaces.  

A new statewide initiative from Pathfinders Resource Conservation and Development (RC&D) aims to help individuals with disabilities and their caregivers better navigate opportunities to enjoy Iowa’s parks and cultural spaces. 

Students in the course Policy and Persuasion worked with staff from Pathfinders RC&D and the South Central Iowa Local Workforce Development Board to develop policy directions for issues related to five focus areas: rural development hubs, innovation, resource guides, workforce development, mental health, and community capacity.

Graduate students in the College of Nursing's "Community and Public Health Nursing" course partnered with the South Central Iowa Workforce Development Board to assess regional healthcare worker needs and to help local high school students learn about and potentially pursue careers in the healthcare field.

Individuals seeking essential social services across the United States often face significant administrative burdens that make accessing aid time-consuming, complex, and discouraging. In rural areas like southeast Iowa, these challenges are intensified by geographic isolation, limited digital access, and a lack of centralized service infrastructure. Pathfinders RC&D sought strategies to reduce administrative burdens for residents in six Southeast Iowa counties: Davis, Keokuk, Jefferson, Mahaska, Wapello, and Van Buren. 

Students in a capstone class in the School of Journalism and Mass Communications worked with Pathfinders RC&D to develop a strategic communication campaign and a vast array of resources to help the organization implement the campaign strategies. 

A team of law students in the the Community Empowerment Law Project (CELP) worked with Pathfinders RC&D and the South Central Iowa Local Workforce Development Board to navigate the complex web of federal and state laws governing youth employment and child labor.