Metropolitan State University Foundation CI Report – Final

What has been most instrumenta to your progress?

The partnerships were instrumental in this project being completed. This includes the planning team of Metro State faculty and staff and partner organizations such as Urban Roots that secured university support, the East Side community, and the generous funding partners who enabled the project to reach full completion. We thank all our major partners who made this vision come to reality: Metropolitan State University, notably the Department of Natural Science and Department of Psychology; Urban Roots, East Side St. Paul’s largest youth employer; Friends of Swede Hollow, a grassroots environmental, community-building group; First Lutheran Church, an urban mission-oriented ELCA congregation. Public Officials: Councilmember Jane Prince, City of St. Paul Ward 7; MN Senator Foung Hawj; Commissioner Dave Frederickson, MN Department of Agriculture; MN Representative Sheldon Johnson; MN Representative Rod Hamilton. And the many public and private funds, such as the Bush Foundation, who invested in this project to see it to the completion of Phase II.

Understanding budget limitations and breaking into two phases allowed for us to work in stages to complete this project while having progress along the way. Fully funding Phase I and completing it kept momentum going and created the base for Phase II funding.

Key lessons learned

When embarking on this project we hoped to have it completed earlier. We appreciate the extension from Bush Foundation to add extra time to fully fund and finish this project through Phase II. Time was a big challenge as many people involved in this project were doing this work in addition to their regular duties. The cost of the project also created challenges. The original estimates were based off the time period immediately after the Great Recession when construction prices had dropped. However, by the time the project started the prices had come back up–making the budget for the project almost double what was originally estimated. Thus, the two phases were created–Phase I to renovate the greenhouse and Phase II to expand to include classroom and demonstration space and an accessible restroom. Phase II was completed this fall!

There was some COVID-related impact with the project–purchasing the remaining furnishing necessary for the space. This is due to the supply chain impact. We are currently using surplus furnishings from other areas of campus and will make the final purchase when supplies are available. Additionally, the space is not fully utilized yet due to distancing safeguards. This will change as the pandemic allows for more people to gather in the same space.

Reflections on the community innovation process

This work was a true community process, using inclusivity, collaboration and resourceful methods to see the project through to its full potential. From the formation of the planning team in 2014 that included university representatives and community members, to design, implementation and use, this has been rooted in the community and partnerships from the beginning. The project team recognized the importance of identifying the myriad ways that the GROW-IT Center can foster partnerships to enrich student and faculty scholarship, while strengthening the impact of local community organizations. Through direct outreach to prospective community partners, the team learned, for example, of the Hmong American Farmers Association’s (HAFA’s) interest in sharing their expertise about growing crops and the medicinal use of plants–this could be a potential partnership with the University. For the future, the applied research and learning made possible in the GROW-IT Center will help shape our community. The students that learn here—from K-12 youth to university students—will play a role in determining what we eat and how we eat it, become stewards of our planet.

Other key elements of Community Innovation

Patience and perseverance! With the budget requiring the project be divided two phases, the team remained patience and true to the vision even as we worked to secure the full funding needed to see the project to full completion. All of this in addition to navigating the pandemic. Partnerships remained in tact, securing funding remained a top goal, and the project was able to succeed in spite of these barriers. The dedicated team and partners who saw this through to the end had the vision and dedication to stick with this project, knowing what it means to the community.

Progress toward an innovation

We are making progress on achieving the community need of sustainable food practices and education. With the project now complete–greenhouse and classroom spaces, the site features a variety of teaching and learning opportunities through presentations/classes, meetings, demonstrations (often with school-aged youth), community workshops, plant exchanges, soil testing. Additionally, the exterior features have both practical applications and value as a teaching-learning tools: Solar panels will be connected to the B3 Benchmarking system in order to track usage/energy savings in what is, otherwise, a high-energy consuming facility; Two sizable rain cisterns provide a convenient outdoor watering source for the grounds, which is slated to include a faculty-sponsored produce garden used for scholarship and food donations; A beautiful rain garden, sited at the lowest point on the SW edge of the building and installed by a team at Urban Roots, filters stormwater run-off and protects the stability of an elevated lot; Attractive native grasses and other native plantings surround the perimeter of the building.

What it will take to reach an innovation?

We will reach more people once the pandemic allows for more people to gather safely. After Phase I was competed in the fall of 2019, Metropolitan State and long-time partner Urban Roots began to plant a variety of native landscape plants, vegetables, and herbs in the newly constructed greenhouse. Faculty, students, and community members are continuing to learning how a greenhouse works and from each other, laying the groundwork for future partnerships. With the completion of Phase II, this work will only continue to expand.

What’s next?

Aside from purchasing the furnishings once available, this project is complete as far as the capital component. We will continue the work of community engagement and partnerships to fully utilize the space as intended.

If you could do it all over again…

One last thought

We were able to stretch our funding even further to incorporate additional features to create an even more welcoming and efficient space. This includes: An internet-enabled A/V workstation, stored behind a sliding whiteboard closet, and projector; Locked storage for hazardous materials used in experiments and cleaning; Two new fully accessible, gender-neutral restrooms, and a public water fountain/dispenser; 10% more greenhouse space, having removed the toilet room previously located there; Automated lighting throughout for energy efficiency along with the option of dimming for A/V, with window blinds to block natural light when needed for A/V purposes; A wide enough doorway connecting the recently renovated greenhouse/research lab that plant tables, demonstration room furnishings and other bulky supplies can be readily wheeled to and from the demonstration area for the varied teaching and learning exchanges we envision; A polished concrete, easy-to-clean floor. Also would like to share this article from the Star Tribune in case you haven’t seen it: https://www.startribune.com/metropolitan-state-garden-experiment-helps-students-sow-human-connections/570876082/