Graduate and advanced undergraduate students in the Department of Sociology & Criminology studied the relationship between law enforcement and mental health cases in Waterloo.

As part of their capstone project, second-year graduate students from the School of Planning & Public Affairs created a neighborhood plan for Waterloo's Church Row neighborhood.  

The City of Waterloo (pop. 67,798) sought assistance with the development of a Neighborhood Plan for Church Row, a core neighborhood located near downtown in order to foster a more safe, attractive, and welcoming area that provides opportunities for economic development, healthy and affordable living, and a high quality of life for residents. 

Students from the School of Urban & Regional Planning course Community Development in the Upper Midwest interviewed several Chin Burmese residents of Columbus Junction to produce a short film about their sense of home in their new community.

As part of their capstone project, second-year graduate students from the University of Iowa’s School of Urban & Regional Planning created a Comprehensive Plan for Tama, Iowa.

Students in the Course Advanced Strategic Communications developed communication strategies and defined key goals for the celebration of Columbus Junction's sesquicentennial.

In 2024, Columbus Junction will commemorate 150 years as a community.  By getting an early start on planning with the students at the University of Iowa, Mallory Smith, Columbus Junction Community Development Director, is hoping to use the sesquicentennial event as an opportunity to celebrate the ever-changing Columbus Junction community and promote city improvement projects.

Students from the School of Urban & Regional Planning course Community Development in the Upper Midwest worked with Latinx teens in Columbus Junction's Upward Bound program to produce videos and books that help tell the 150 year story of the community through interviews and historical artifacts.

Graduate and advanced undergraduates in urban planning, the social sciences, the humanities, and the arts examined the many challenges facing small- to medium-sized towns in Iowa and elsewhere in the Upper Midwest and work towards community-based solutions.

Film students from the Department of Cinematic Arts created short film profiles of Webster City residents, with the goal of telling personal stories of individuals who are working to make a difference in their community. 

Students in the course Non-Profit Organizational Effectiveness worked with representatives of All Cultures Equal to find external grants that could meet the organization's funding priorities. 

All Cultures Equal (ACE) is a Webster City based non-profit organization focused on bringing together and empowering diverse cultures in the community.  ACE provides a wide range of services, such as ESL programming, Immigration assistance, community meetings and events, translation services, and more.

Students in the course Translation Workshop and Independent Study student Vanessa Guzman in the Department of Spanish and Portuguese translated documents into Spanish for Webster City and the Kendall Young Library in order to serve the community's growing Hispanic population.

Students from the School of Journalism & Mass Communication created a strategic communication plan for increasing community pride and volunteerism in Keokuk.

In a report to the Delmar Economic Development Group, a graduate student in the School of Urban & Regional Planning completed an independent project that provides recommendations and identifies resources that help achieve a community-driven vision for the City of Delmar.

Graduate students in the College of Public Health developed campaigns for the Mason City community that address issues related to the increasing proportion of older residents in the community.   The public health campaigns were tailored to help Mason City residents better "age in place", which can mean helping individuals stay in their own homes longer, as well as helping the community adapt and develop resources that make Mason City functional and attractive for older residents.