Urban Update 
The monthly newsletter of the UMass Dartmouth
Urban Initiative
February 2014
A core component of our mission is to engage students in opportunities to apply their lessons in the classroom by working with the Urban Initiative on projects in Fall River, New Bedford, and beyond. Not only do we do this by employing students as graduate and undergraduate research assistants, but we also partner with UMass Dartmouth faculty to engage students in community-based research.

This semester, we're doing this in partnership with Professor Gloria De Sa and her Urban Sociology students. They'll be looking at issues that include education, affordable housing, homelessness, and immigration. And they may be reaching out to you!

Over the next few weeks, we'll be connecting them with data sources and community stakeholders so they can define the problem and the audience. At the end of the semester, we'll be sharing their findings here and on our website. Stay tuned, and please support this effort if you're asked.

SouthCoast Urban Indicators Project
The Federal Reserve Bank of Boston recently awarded grants and technical assistance to six Gateway Cities through its Working Cities Challenge. These cities will address the needs of low-income residents through collaborative leadership. Fall River and New Bedford were not among the grantees. But how do they compare when it comes to collaborative leadership?

Lots more data is available on these cities at southcoastindicators.org

From the blog
  • Bob wrote about our team's experience volunteering for New Bedford's annual homeless point-in-time count last week.  
  • Katya breaks down newly released graduation rates for Fall River and New Bedford, with handy graphs on trends among subgroups.  
  • Last month, just-announced gubernatorial candidate Jeff McCormick met with our team to learn about our work and ideas for New Bedford and other Gateway Cities. Here's Mike McCarthy's recap.    
Events

What: MassDOT public meeting to get feedback on weMove Massachusetts, the state's long-range transportation plan
When: Monday, 2/10 from 6-8p
Where: UMass Dartmouth main auditorium; more details here

Here are links to Black History Month events being hosted by Bristol Community College and UMass Dartmouth throughout February.
 

Want your event listed here? Send us an email with the details before the first of next month and we'll include it here. 

 Grants
   

MassHumanities, various grants - Deadline: 3/21/14      

MassHumanities has multiple grant programs for which applications are due on March 21. Learn more about program types and how to apply here.        

 

Amelia Peabody Foundation - Deadline: 4/15

Grants are available to Massachusetts organizations serving disadvantaged, inner-city youth. More details here.   

 

 Job opportunities

No job opportunities are on our radar this month. Please let us know if you want us to help circulate a posting!

In this issue:
SouthCoast Indicators
From the blog
Events
Grants
Jobs




 About the Urban Initiative:

 

The UI is a division of the Center for Policy Analysis that addresses challenges and opportunities in the region's smaller industrial cities, with a particular emphasis on Fall River and New Bedford.  

 

In addition to conducting applied research, evaluating programs and policies, facilitating collaborations, and providing technical assistance to cities and organizations therein, the Urban Initiative serves as a knowledge base for urban policy issues in the region.

 

Perhaps most importantly, our work to support cities supports UMass Dartmouth students. Graduate and undergraduate students enjoy the opportunity to apply their coursework in the field by serving as paid staff and interns. If you are or know of a UMass Dartmouth student who wants to work with the Urban Initiative, get in touch!


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Contact us!

 
Phone:
508-910-6407

Email: [email protected]

Mail:
285 Old Westport Road
North Dartmouth, MA 02747

Website: http://www.umassd.edu/urbaninitiative/

Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/urbaninitiative

Twitter: @UrbanUMassD 



Urban Initiative staff


Project Manager:
Colleen Dawicki

Graduate research assistants:
Robert Golder 
Katya Starostina

Undergraduate research assistant: