SCYP helps transform Oregon communities large and small
Through year-long partnerships, the Sustainable City Year Program (SCYP) helps communities solve the problems of today and lay the groundwork for a sustainable, livable future—all while helping students prepare for the workforce through applied learning.
The Magic of SCYP
The Sustainable City Year Program (SCYP) is a large-scale partnership between universities and communities in Oregon. It works within existing administrative structures of community partners and academia, is a genuine partnership where projects are community-identified or community-approved, is intentionally aimed at improving community quality of life, and can be scaled to partner size and context. The core of the program is matching university courses (students and faculty) with an Oregon city, county, special district, tribe, or partnership of governments for an entire academic year to work on partner-identified projects that are are part of local work plans and goals.
SCYP harnesses the innovation and energy of students and faculty to provide the analysis, bold ideas, and fresh perspectives that help local communities move forward, get unstuck, or get energized to address important context-specific economic, environmental, and social ambitions. We know that cities and communities are staffed with leaders and staff who want to make real change and are passionate about moving their cities into the future; yet we also know that they are often limited by a lack of time, budget, and sometimes knowledge of the latest best practices. And this is the space where SCYP thrives - in essence, the SCYP partnership puts university talent to work helping strengthen Oregon communities.
“Student efforts on these projects inject fresh perspectives into our design processes to help fuel innovation in applied sustainability and expand the benefits for the communities we serve.” - Jeb Doran, TriMet Senior Project Manager
While the primary focus of SCYP is to help tangibly advance Oregon communities, students also benefit more than they normally would in a classroom-only setting. Faculty are also more motivated about their teaching and mentorship. And in the end, our faculty and our community partners are working together to build the next generation workforce, helping train students to enter their professional careers already having insight and experience into local community goals, challenges, and processes, the larger decision-making context of our State, and with the knowledge that they can be part of improving Oregon communities. SCYP is a transformative and exciting experience for everyone involved!
Current SCYP Partnership
City of Oakridge (2024-2026)
The City of Oakridge has been selected by the University of Oregon’s Sustainable City Year Program (SCYP) for a two-year partnership. SCYP will match resources from existing university courses to high priority projects identified by the City Council and the Oakridge community such as the Oakridge Industrial Park marketing and development, Willamette Activity Center planning and outreach, city website improvements, urban renewal opportunities and research, housing development planning and design, community service program options, and affordable GIS alternatives for the city. SCYP courses to address these project ideas could include business, journalism, geography, planning, design, and public administration with more disciplines added throughout the year as project and course matches are made.
Nestled in the foothills of the Western Cascade Mountains and surrounded by the vast Willamette National Forest, the City of Oakridge offers unlimited outdoor opportunities, where families and businesses can live, work, play, and grow, in a safe and sustainable community. The citizens of the Oakridge area hold their history and culture close with events and productions all year around. The City of Oakridge is poised for diversified and sustainable growth in a number of industries. With robust physical and digital infrastructure in place, and a stunning mountain setting, it is easy to see a bright future studded with tourism and new business.
This SCYP and City of Oakridge partnership is 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. With additional funding from the city, the partnership will allow UO students and faculty to study and make recommendations on city-identified projects and issues.
SCYP receives partial support from the National Institute for Transportation and Communities (NITC) to help educate the next generation transportation workforce and to help share the SCYP program model with others across the United States.