SCYP kicks-off its 15th year partnering with Oregon communities!

The University of Oregon Sustainable City Year Program (SCYP) has been working with Oregon communities since 2010 through an innovative model that bridges the gap between universities and communities. SCYP’s priority is to help advance local community goals, while also providing an applied education for university students that helps develop the next generation Oregon workforce. Over the last decade and a half, more than 5,000 students have provided over 450,000 hours of effort to over 300 projects in 18 different Oregon communities.

It’s been our busiest fall yet with partnerships across the state that include Oakridge, Bend, Silverton, Salem, and Gresham!

The City of Oakridge and SCYP will partner over two-years to match resources from existing university courses with priority city projects. Students and faculty will undertake projects such as marketing and development for the Oakridge Industrial Park, fundraising for the Willamette Activity Center, promoting tourism with local businesses, city website improvements, urban renewal opportunities and research, middle housing planning and design, community service program options, and affordable GIS alternatives for the city.

The City of Bend is partnering with Community and Regional Planning graduate students to apply contemporary land use planning and urban design concepts to help transition a traditional, auto-centric area on the east side of Bend to a mixed use and climate resilient area that is equitable and facilitates transportation options.

The City of Silverton partnered with SCYP over the 2019-2020 year. SCYP is returning to support Silverton’s partnership with the Resource Assistance for Rural Environments (RARE) AmeriCorps Program and a RARE staff will evaluate the impact of past SCYP projects and determine additional city needs that could benefit from further SCYP class matches.

The City of Salem Police Department is interested in determining its level of trust with the Salem community. Students will work in teams to investigate the various values that are important and specific to the work of the Police Department while also gathering data that could then be helpful as the department works to secure future grant opportunities.

The City of Gresham first partnered with SCYP in the program’s inaugural year and has continued the relationship with special projects. This year, Gresham is working with SCYP to explore the idea of turning part of Main Avenue into a pedestrian-only street as well as additional projects throughout the school year.

SCYP Oakridge Partnership Kickoff Celebration

To celebrate the SCYP partnership with the City of Oakridge and officially launch the program, a celebration luncheon was held on campus. Remarks were given by Oakridge Mayor Bryan Cutchen, University of Oregon Leadership, and SCYP staff. After the remarks, Oakridge staff and UO faculty unveiled the year’s upcoming projects and shared specific partnership details.

Thanks to the longer engagement plan with Oakridge, SCYP will have greater flexibility to address emerging or systemic barriers/problems experienced by Oakridge's community, allowing the university to maximize impact for the community now and for years to come after the engagement is completed in 2026.

Learn more about this year's Oakridge projects!

Interested in being our next community partner?

We're looking for our 2025-26 partner and are ready to help your community explore solutions to its biggest challenges! SCYP makes it easy to access the full breadth of expertise at the University of Oregon, as well as tapping expertise at OSU, PSU, and EOU as appropriate. If your city is trying to figure out how best to address climate change, housing, transportation, land use planning and design, economic development, revenue alternatives, community outreach, and more, let’s work together to advance your goals while also jointly training the next generation Oregon workforce.

Take advantage of the unique opportunity to secure additional matching funds towards a SCYP partnership. U.S. Senators Ron Wyden and Jeff Merkley, as well as former Congressman Peter DeFazio, secured federal funding for SCYP through Congressionally Directed Spending. Matching funds are only available for the next year, so we'd love to talk and see if a partnership is right for your community!

About the Sustainable City Year Program (SCYP)

Established in 2009, SCYP is now in its 15th year of partnerships with Oregon communities. SCYP partnerships connect University of Oregon students with local communities to implement real change drawing directly from community-identified issues. Through hands-on learning, SCYP harnesses the innovation of students and faculty to offer communities unique perspectives and ideas. Communities emerge from SCYP partnerships with increased community outreach, expanded conversations, and cutting-edge solutions, while students emerge better prepared to enter the workforce.

Additional matching funds towards community partnerships are possible in part due to support from U.S. Senators Ron Wyden and Jeff Merkley, as well as former Congressman Peter DeFazio, who secured federal funding for SCYP through Congressionally Directed Spending.