COPC Partners Meeting

8/31/04

Tracy Soska opened the meeting with introductions all around. He then introduced Daniel Friedson, Director of the Community Economic Development Clinic (CEDC) in the School of Law.

Dan outlined what the clinic would be trying to do during the first semester: Sustainability planning, poverty alleviation and connecting non-profit groups to entities that can assist them with what ever problems they may be encountering.

Kelly Hoffman, Laura Halula, Erin Ramsey and Ruth Feathers gave reports on the various housing issues that they have been working on through the summer and what they hope they will be working on in the fall.

• Keep it Clean Oakland – Dumpster tape – approximately 20 tons of garbage already collected.
• Neighborhood Defense Fund – supported through donations from landlords and private citizen donations. The fund is currently at $650.00. They will be using these funds to continue to file appeals (they are winning more and more of them) against slum landlords.
• Housing Forum in July – They had hoped to use this to educate students about being responsible neighbors. Since they held the first one when most students were away from Oakland, they are hoping to hold another in January and February.

John Wilds took this opportunity to outline what the NBTF and the University’s own Alcohol Task Force were doing to educate students, bar owners and servers about underage drinking. Erin Ramsey said that they were hoping to alleviate property damage from large student parties and have arrests versus citations.

Jim Richter from the Hazelwood Initiative gave an update on: The 5K race which will be coming up soon, the need for volunteers before and after the event and the valuable service that the COPC interns give to the HI.

Jennifer Henderson-Germany gave a report on her first 4 ½ months with Breachmenders Ministries Inc. She spent this time rejuvenating the #4 Block Club, working with the local institutions, the Pittsburgh Police and the Pitt police to get the young adults off the streets and into a program where they can be productive. The School to Career program currently has 105 participants in grades K-12 with a wait list of 70. In the area of housing, they are trying to connect buyers and sellers so that the housing stock is kept away from landlords who want to splint the houses up into units. They are expecting to complete 10 housing rehabs this year.

Jim Richter inquired whether Pitt was still trying to purchase Robinson Court for soccer and track fields. If they are still looking for property, Forest City Developers are currently trying to find buyers for the former LTV site. John Wilds agreed to talk with Eli Shorak about this issue.

Andrea Kriska gave an overview of what she would be working with the COPC and Oakland Community on.

Michael Printz talked about current projects that Community Human Services was involved with:

• Current focus is on the South Oakland community.
• Working with David Blenk and Tracy Soska to get a ___________ Service Program up and running. This would link several non-profit organizations to funding for up to ten years.
• Literacy Issues in the elementary grades. Project Listen – hoping to involve “interns/work study students” with academic tutoring.

John Wilds introduced Martha Pristas the new director of the Leisure Learn Program. Dean Alan Lesgold wanted the project rejuvenated and made active again. Marti then gave an overview of what her mandate is and what they are hoping to accomplish in the next six months.

• Working on ways to increase the usage of Trees Hall by members of the community. There are 200 guest passes issued to community members 18 years and older.
• Saturday Program for youth 10 and older.
• Involving more students from the School of Education in the Leisure Learn Program.

Sabina Deitrick gave an overview of the Students Forum/Speaker Series that they are working on getting up and running. The object is to involve the COPC students directly in setting up programs for speakers to come in and talk about timely issues. The first is set for October 7 or 9 and will bring the former County and City Planning Directors together to discuss the vision for Oakland. Also, on 10/13 Carmen ______________ will be on campus to discuss mass transit issues.

Sabina Deitrick and Tracy Soska they talked about service learning issues and how they are very common in the professional schools but have not been incorporated into the Curriculum University wide. The University Senate’s Community Relations Committee will be hosting the Fall Plenary Session on 11/3. Currently, the morning session will be a symposium to include community organizations and institutions in the area; this will be followed by an open house showcasing what institutions in the area are doing in the areas of service learning. The 2:00-5:00 p.m. session will be the actual plenary session. More details will be sent out as the date nears.