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Central Corridor Anchor Institutions Share Lessons From 10 Years of Partnership Along the Green Line

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Central Corridor Anchor Partnership logoThis month, the Central Corridor Anchor Partnership (CCAP) will celebrate 10 years of local place-making investments along the Green Line corridor with an Anchor Summit featuring Dr. David Maurrasse, leader of the national Anchor Institutions Task Force. 

Since 2012, CCAP members organizations—including colleges, universities, health systems, and other partner organizations—have sustained a commitment to the shared health, prosperity, and growth of Central Corridor neighborhoods. Anchor institutions are defined as stable, enduring organizations that are rooted in their localities, whose resources can be leveraged as agents of community and economic development. The CCAP anchor partner capacity comprises 16 ZIP codes, 60,000 employees, and 112,000 students with $2.5 billion in annual spending. Through CCAP, these “eds and meds” have focused on procurement spending, workforce development, and transit use in the ZIP codes along the Green Line in Minneapolis and St. Paul. 

Augsburg University was a founding member of CCAP, which is chaired by President Paul Pribbenow. Examples of Augsburg’s commitment to neighborhood vitality in recent years include:

  • The Cedar-Riverside Health Commons drop-in center, which opened in 2011 in collaboration with CCAP partner M Health Fairview, the East Africa Health Project, and People’s Center Health Services.
  • Urban Scrubs Camp, an annual summer camp for metro students to get hands-on exposure to health care careers and experience a college campus.
  • Augsburg Local, an initiative to leverage Augsburg’s institutional and individual purchasing power to support local businesses.
  • Inclusionary contracting in the construction of the Hagfors Center for Business, Science, and Religion, including over $3 million to Twin City Glass Contractors, a woman-owned business located in the Central Corridor geography.

“These strategies not only make our organization stronger, but they contribute to more prosperity for the Central Corridor and the whole Twin Cities region,” said Pribbenow.

The Anchor Summit will be held from 8–10:30 a.m. on November 16 at the Fairview Community Health & Wellness Hub in St. Paul. David Maurrasse will deliver a keynote on the power and potential of anchor partnerships, followed by a panel discussion on creating shared value and community health and safety in the central corridor. For more information, visit centralcorridoranchorpartnership.org/anchor-summit.

Paul Pribbenow Named to HUD’s Higher Ed Engagement Advisory Group

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Paul C. Pribbenow

Last week, the U.S. Department of Housing and Urban Development and Campus Compact announced the HUD + Higher Ed Engagement Network, a new collaboration to strengthen higher education community action. Augsburg President Paul C. Pribbenow was one of three college presidents named to a 30-member Think Tank of strategic leaders that will guide network activities. 

“Augsburg has long been engaged in vital place-making work with our neighbors, our students, and our employees,” said Pribbenow, who chairs the Central Corridor Anchor Partnership in Minneapolis. “It’s an honor to be able to share what we’ve learned about mutually sustaining partnerships in an urban setting where we have deep institutional roots.”

The Think Tank will collaborate with HUD leaders to develop and disseminate strategies for campuses to engage with HUD field offices and initiatives nationwide. Member institutions will put these plans into action at the local level, with the goal of building inclusive, sustainable, and thriving communities through increased civic and community engagement. Focus areas will include worker empowerment, maternal and infant health, eviction prevention, landlord outreach, housing security and access, broadband access and digital literacy, and cultural competency. 

“We are thrilled to partner with Campus Compact on this initiative,” said Michele Perez, HUD’s Assistant Deputy Secretary for Field Policy and Management, in announcing the program. “This partnership will bolster HUD’s and the members of the Higher Ed Engagement Network’s ability to serve our most vulnerable populations through the higher education space. Together, we will leverage our strong connections in our respective industries to enable a just, equitable, and sustainable future.”

The HUD + Higher Engagement Network will be led by Campus Compact in partnership with the University Economic Development Association and two organizations with which Augsburg and President Pribbenow have been closely involved: the Anchor Institutions Task Force and the Coalition of Urban and Metropolitan Universities. 

Engaging as an anchor institution in Cedar-Riverside and at Augsburg sites around the world is a key strategy articulated in Augsburg150: The Sesquicentennial Plan.

Read more about Augsburg’s anchor institution commitments:

MinnPost features Augsburg, other anchor institutions

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MinnPostAugsburg College was one of several Twin Cities anchor institutions named in a recent MinnPost article on the roles these institutions play in strengthening Minnesota neighborhoods.

President Paul C. Pribbenow, who is chair of the Central Corridor Anchor Partnership, was quoted in the article. He described how anchor institutions view the benefits in their partnership work. “This is not just what we give to the community, it’s about our shared interests and mutual benefits,” Pribbenow said.

Fellow member of the Augsburg community Josh Ahrens, food service director for A’viands, also was quoted in the article. Read, “Anchor initiatives: Local food means business for local neighborhoods” to learn how health care, higher education, and other nonprofits are working together to improve the economic vitality of their communities.

Strommen speaker series features Mary K. Brainerd of HealthPartners

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Mary Brainerd
Mary Brainerd, president and CEO of HealthPartners

Augsburg College will welcome Mary K. Brainerd, a national leader known for her business acumen and unwavering commitment to the community, as the next featured presenter in the Clair and Gladys Strommen Executive Speaker Series on April 4.

Brainerd, who will speak on the topic of health care reform from 5 to 6:30 p.m. in Sateren Auditorium, is the president and chief executive officer of Minnesota-based HealthPartners—the largest, consumer-governed, nonprofit health care organization in the United States. Brainerd and HealthPartners are widely recognized for charitable community work.

“Mary is a leader whose values and skills are placed in service of the common good,” said Augsburg President Paul C. Pribbenow, who views Brainerd as an important collaborator with the College. Continue reading “Strommen speaker series features Mary K. Brainerd of HealthPartners” →

Chapel chair upholstery project woven into local economy

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Tonya DuRoche, owner of All About Upholstery
Tonya DuRoche lives in the Cedar-Riverside neighborhood, employs local workers, and sources nearly all her materials from local vendors.

At first glance, the choice to refurbish the chairs in Hoversten Chapel is just good financial management. The move to refresh versus replace the chairs saved the College more than $40,000.

But that’s only the surface of the decision.

What really went on gets to the heart of what it means to be a good steward. It makes exceptional what could be written off as a one-dimensional, mundane decision. It is a concrete example of how the College can live out its mission to be an engaged member of the community, a thoughtful steward, and a responsible leader. Continue reading “Chapel chair upholstery project woven into local economy” →