Rhetoric – �鶹��Ƶ

Potential Grantmakers and Funding Channels for Balboa Park’s Sustainability and Revitalization

Ada Inman — Fri, 16 Aug 2024 18:34:57 +0000

The Sage Project and the Spring 2023 class of RWS 507 Professional Writing for Nonprofit Organizations were commissioned by a private citizen to research and identify potential funding sources for renovations and improvements to Balboa Park in San Diego, California. The purpose of this report is to organize and consolidate our findings into a comprehensive summary that addresses this initial request to identify targeted funding opportunities. Grantmakers were identified using nonprofit databases with advanced search capabilities. Boolean type search parameters were used to narrow results based on keywords, geographic locations, and grant type. Results were then cross-checked to ensure compatibility with Balboa Park initiatives, as outlined in the 1989 Balboa Park Master Plan and the Burnham Center for Community Advancement’s “Preparing for Balboa Park’s Next 100 Years” (Burnham Center for Community Advancement), and application requirement constraints. Potential grantmakers have been identified and organized by the following funding focus areas: Community, Cultural Preservation, Infrastructure and Transportation, and Environmental. We found five Community-Focused opportunities with a potential $1,685,000 in funding, four Cultural Preservation-Focused opportunities with a potential total of $760,000 in funding, six Infrastructure and Transportation-Focused opportunities with a potential total of $955,000 in funding, and four Environmental Preservation-Focused opportunities with a potential total of $9,500,000 in funding.

Personalized Marketing to Increase Community Engagement in Southeast San Diego

Ada Inman — Fri, 16 Aug 2024 18:03:00 +0000

The San Diego Urban Sustainability Coalition (SDUSC) partnered with the Sage Project at San Diego State University to address sustainability issues in the community. The goal of the project was to increase youth participation in SDUSC’s mission and promote sustainable behaviors. As participants in this partnership, students in the Rhetoric and Writing Studies 504 Advanced Professional Writing class proposed various initiatives to achieve these goals, including a monthly newsletter initiative, enhancements to the Climate Ambassador Program, and a community-building campaign called “Consider Your Litter.” The proposed monthly newsletter initiative is designed to increase community outreach and engagement on local sustainability issues. The newsletter will feature a “community corner” section, highlighting young community members’ voices, as well as information on outdoor recreation activities, infographics, community spotlights, and green job opportunities. The newsletter will also inform the public on timely environmental news, SDUSC events, and updates. The enhanced Climate Ambassador Program, in partnership with organizations such as Homegrown Youth Collaborative and the San Diego Mycological Society, will help increase youth participation in SDUSC’s mission. Through creative projects, the program will inspire the community to take pride in their environment and promote sustainable behaviors. The third initiative, “Consider Your Litter,” aims to encourage community members to properly dispose of garbage instead of littering. This community-building campaign will be a reward-incentive program that includes physical totems, a branded hashtag on social media, and a challenge where participants would collect increasing numbers of litter pieces. The initiative also includes community clean-up events, private tours, and a community potluck and BBQ event.Through their research, the RWS 504 class found that the proposed initiatives have the potential to increase youth participation in SDUSC’s mission, promote sustainable behaviors, and create a greener economy. Partnerships with outside organizations, such as Waste Free SD, can provide valuable support for organizing successful community clean-up events. The proposed initiatives will effectively illuminate the education and needs of young community members, while informing the public on timely environmental news and promoting sustainable behaviors. The proposed initiatives have the potential to create a greener economy and a more sustainable future for San Diego. The initiatives aim to increase community outreach and engagement on local sustainability issues, inspire the community to take pride in their environment and promote sustainable behaviors.

Lemon Grove Recreation Department Expansion Opportunities: Envisioning New Recreational Offerings in the City of Lemon Grove

Victor Manzanilla — Wed, 01 Nov 2023 03:40:46 +0000

The purpose of this report is to propose sustainable ways to expand the recreation services for the City of Lemon Grove, as well as provide sustainable solutions that revitalize existing recreational offerings. Dr. Jennifer Sheppard’s class—RWS 504 Advanced Professional Writing— investigated a wide range of options to be included in this report. Through gathered surveyed data, students propose that the City of Lemon Grove grows the Recreation Department programming by adding two new community events: an Annual Birthday Bash and a weekly Farmer’s Market. By developing these two events, residents will develop a deeper sense of pride and belonging to their neighborhood that can proudly be shared to attract other San Diego locals to visit the area. The final section of this report discusses the results of an additional survey conducted during the Spring semester of 2022. The survey focused on identifying the recreational interests of Hispanic residents in Lemon Grove, regarding potential new programming opportunities that reflected aspects of Latinx culture and the Spanish language.

Active Transportation and Community Involvement in the City of Lemon Grove

Victor Manzanilla — Wed, 01 Nov 2023 03:40:46 +0000

This report is based on the compilation of work by students from Dr. Dustin Edwards’ RWS 360 Rhetoric of Sustainability class, which participated in the San Diego State University Sage Project and their partnership with the City of Lemon Grove. The students were tasked with researching and presenting the City of Lemon Grove with a [...]

Southeast San Diego: A Historical View

Victor Manzanilla — Wed, 01 Nov 2023 03:40:45 +0000

As a dedicated nonprofit striving to give communities of concern in Southeast San Diego a voice, the San Diego Urban Sustainability Coalition (SDUSC) partnered with the Sage Project to investigate historical events that led to the current state of inequalities in Southeast San Diego. SDUSC wanted to know more than where the county is now, they wanted to know how it got there. The student writers and researchers from Dr. Dustin Edwards’ RWS 507 Nonprofit Communication class that collaborated with SDUSC staff went on a deep dive into policies and practices that forged problems residents now face. The web of laws, regulations, and economics that has shaped San Diego is constantly changing; thus, this report does not suggest solutions to current challenges nor is it comprehensive. Each section topic is a glance into influential events and policies, as an entire history would warrant its own report.

Waterloo – Housing Issues

Victor Manzanilla — Wed, 01 Nov 2023 03:39:54 +0000

Students in the Fall semester Policy and Persuasion course worked with Waterloo representatives to first identify some of the most pressing issues related to home ownership and affordability, and then to develop policy recommendations for the City moving forward.

Four student groups focused on distinct, yet overlapping housing issues:

Increasing homeownership opportunities
Supporting low-income homeowners
Creating sustainable housing rehab
Improving landlord practices
In very concise terms, the groups recommended 1) appropriate staffing for the soon-to-be-formed Housing Task Force; 2) a data-driven analysis to better understand impediments to homeownership, housing affordability, and housing rehab; 3) a more accessible database of housing resources available to residents; and 4) redesigning landlord policies.

In the following semester, a new group of students continued delving into housing policy and began the work of developing resources. The Spring 2021 recommendations and action steps can be found here: https://iisc.uiowa.edu/housing-policy-resources-part-ii.