In the Quad Cities? Partner with an Augustana College accelerator program

Augustana College’s Upper Mississippi Center (UMC) is inviting communities in Quad Cities to apply to become community partners. 

The Augustana Accelerator, run by the UMC, creates one-to-two-year partnerships with cities, counties and local organizations in order to resolve regional challenges. The community partner identifies them, and UMC provides faculty and students who are experienced to aid in solving these challenges. 

Community partners can propose projects from health equity, sustainability, and public policy to business strategy, design, and cultural preservation. Some of the projects enacted by past partners include:

• Surveyed 12,000 Rock Island homes to identify lead pipes and support public health protection.
• Engaged more than 100 students in sustainability planning with local municipalities.
• Helped communities secure more than $1 million in funding for infrastructure and conservation.

“Communities across the Quad Cities region are balancing urgent needs with limited resources,” said Michael Reisner, director of the Upper Mississippi Center, in a press release. “The Accelerator gives them access to a college’s worth of talent — students, faculty and research capacity — while providing our students the opportunity to hone their critical thinking and civic problem-solving skills, as well as navigate a diversity of perspectives from local communities.”

Communities interested in applying should submit proposals by Nov. 15 at this link: (guidelines and application materials).