Overview
Gannon University has a rich history of service to Erie and the surrounding community. In the summer of 2010, Gannon took its commitment to service and to the community one step further with the launch of the Erie-Gannon Alliances to Improve Neighborhood Sustainability (Erie-GAINS) initiative, a long-term, mutually beneficial community initiative designed to expand the University’s efforts to support the common good of our neighborhood. While the University will continue to serve throughout the Erie region, across the United States and in various countries, Erie-GAINS will aid the University in focusing its efforts to maximize its impact in a well-defined, contiguous and manageable University neighborhood.
Erie-GAINS coordinates strategic initiatives between the University, government agencies, community organizations and businesses to stimulate positive change and improve the sustainability and viability of downtown Erie and the neighborhoods surrounding campus. The initiative will bring greater focus to Gannon's existing efforts aimed at experiential learning, such as internships and co-ops, service-learning projects, civic engagement, community service, research and programming by focusing on urban development issues including, but not limited to, education, health and well-being, the economy, public safety, neighborhood revitalization and the environment.
Purpose
- To intentionally coordinate Gannon’s community interactions so that they are productive, proactive, more meaningful and increasingly focused on the Erie-GAINS Neighborhood;
- To focus social and civic engagement efforts and community partnerships to support the Erie-GAINS neighborhood, neighbors, schools, centers of worship and other organizations; and
- To align the planning of the University with the challenges of the neighborhood through the concentration of University efforts (service-learning, faculty and student research, internships, course curriculum and targeted academic program development) in the neighborhood.
Goals and Objectives
- Further increase the mission-oriented development of students, faculty and staff.
- Focus academically-based social and civic engagement efforts (internships, service-learning, service, research, programming) and community partnerships to support the common good of the Erie-GAINS neighborhood.
- Be a key partner with the City of Erie, non-profits, businesses, centers of worship, and schools in improving and revitalizing our downtown Erie neighborhood.
- Create a continuum of opportunities for engagement that provide shared knowledge and results that will benefit residents, the community and the University.
- Fundamentally change the targeted community to become a place where people want to live.
Outcomes
- The University will adopt holistic and interdisciplinary approaches to community development.
- Gannon will be a primary partner working to shape a sustainable community.
- The University will grow and institutionalize service and service-learning projects in the targeted neighborhood.
- Gannon graduates will go on to become leaders in the community and with national and international organizations where they will continue to develop and nurture civic and social engagements.
- Neighborhood residents will see Gannon as a partner and the University of Choice.
- Incoming students will select Gannon as the University of Choice for its commitment to their development as well as its commitment to the community.
- Neighborhood characteristics (quality and affordable housing, safety, etc) will improve.
- Neighborhood amenities will be developed or enhanced.