Voinovich School students collaborate with regional mayors to tackle community challenges

The Voinovich School of Leadership and Public Service continues to foster community-academic collaboration through real-world experiences, exemplified by Professor Geoff Dabelko’s class.

Last Fall, Ohio University students worked closely with members of the Mayors' Partnership for Progress (MPP) to address key challenges in the region. The project, a culmination of months of work, focused on four communities outside of Athens: Chillicothe, Racine, McConnelsville and New Straitsville. Each town presented a unique issue, ranging from renewable energy and food deserts to recycling challenges and green space development.

Master of Science in Environmental Studies (MSES) student Brooke Ripley reflected on how the project aligned with her goals. 

"As someone with a fine arts degree, this class was one of the first times I was able to apply that passion to something bigger," Ripley said. "It was amazing to work with this team and take this class that so closely aligns with what I want to do."

Ripley and her classmates have been tackling a variety of issues, including recycling challenges in Chillicothe, and addressing food access issues in Racine, aiming to combat the community's food desert concerns.

In McConnelsville, a modular restoration project is underway, which includes a streambank restoration boardwalk and trail system, pool house updates into a garden/greenhouse and improvements to the town’s football field.  

MSES student Dupe Oluwasesan, who is interested in environmental planning and design, was part of the team designing the community garden and greenhouse.

"Interdisciplinary collaboration projects like this class were great," Oluwasesan said. "I really enjoyed working with people from diverse backgrounds. It was challenging, but it led us to create this great presentation and a lot of different ideas."