Learning Together to Move Our Communities Forward
Four years ago, we had locked down. I didn’t fully know it yet, but the United States – along with much of the world – had entered a period of profound isolation as a collective response to the COVID-19 pandemic crisis. Isolation from family, friends, co-workers and community. Experiences of isolation played out differently across society, but for me it meant staying home for months, working from home for nearly two and a half years, and learning how to connect with the world through Zoom. Telecommunications were the miracle technology that would enable us to proceed with life in community again! And they did – sort of. We learned. We adapted. We moved forward. But something was… missing.
To try to understand better why the world still felt isolated despite technology enabling so much remote collaboration, I thought back to my coursework in education and cognitive development. I remembered that in the early 20th century, educational researchers posited that humans are inherently social and that learning is a social construct. To learn and grow, humans need to be in community with others – whether that be in a classroom, workplace or public space. Being “in community” was distinct from just being connected via technology – it explained a lot about the drained isolation I was feeling. As the world reopened and we contend with new hybrid community realities, the value of people coming together as professionals to network, learn, share ideas, brainstorm and innovate has become evident and essential.
In this vein, the College Park City-University Partnership is proud to co-host the 2024 International Town Gown Association (ITGA) Conference here in College Park on June 5-7. Colleges and their surrounding communities have unique experiences that benefit from collaboration and sharing best practices to meet their complex community needs – housing, health, safety, and multigenerational economic contexts. Alongside our partners, the University of Maryland and the City of College Park, we are excited for the opportunity to share our learnings, challenges and accomplishments with our peer cities and communities. We are eager to learn about the great projects taking place across the U.S. and the world that can adapt and implement here in service of the College Park community.
The Power of Partnerships: Solving Grand Challenges Together
This year’s conference theme is inspired by the University of Maryland’s campus-wide commitment to addressing unprecedented global challenges through the exchange of stories, the collaborative exploration of issues and the pursuit of innovative solutions. Challenges that will be tackled in conference sessions include community and civic engagement, social injustice, health and safety, racial equity, disparities in education and climate change. The ITGA Conference program offers a diverse mix of panels, TED-style talks and mobile sessions that highlight best practices and learnings across three tracks:
Track 1 – Partnerships for the Public Good – Health, Safety and Sustainability: This track will explore partnerships and community-based strategies to advance health, public safety and sustainability in communities. Sessions will include best practices, tools and resources vital to partnering for the public good.
Track 2 – Equity, Belonging and Civic Engagement: This track will examine equity, diversity and inclusion, and explore their significance in the context of culture, environment, life experiences and the long-term sustainability of inclusivity. Session will include innovative strategies for enhancing the connection and sense of belonging between students and local communities, with an emphasis on boosting civic participation both on and off campus.
Track 3 – Placemaking, Housing and Development: This track will foster discourse on how cities and universities can collaborate to establish vibrant communities that services the needs of employees, students and residents alike. Discussions will include on and off-campus housing solutions, neighborhood character considerations, and relationships between permanent residents, landlords/property managers and students.
We can adapt. And we can change. But ultimately, we need to be in community and in each other’s presence to do that to the highest level. National conferences offer a fantastic opportunity for us to reconnect with our peers and colleagues, to learn from best practices and other communities’ ups and downs.
Susan Hartmann, Executive Director
Mobile Sessions: These sessions will offer participants the ability to leave the conference site for unique interactive experiences that align with the three session tracks.
We have learned through experience that we can personally, professionally and collectively evolve. We can adapt. And we can change. But ultimately, we need to be in community and in each other’s presence to do that to the highest level. National conferences offer a fantastic opportunity for us to reconnect with our peers and colleagues, to learn from best practices and other communities’ ups and downs. I’m looking forward to the 2024 ITGA Conference as an opportunity to tap back into the wellspring of knowledge in our peer communities and bring the best and most innovative ideas to the Partnership’s work in College Park. Please join us!