Pennsylvania State University

Sustainable Communities Collaborative

Website |https://sustainability.psu.edu/programs/scc/

The Sustainable Communities Collaborative (SCC) connects university faculty, students, and staff with local communities to address sustainability challenges through an engaged, collaborative effort to meet the partnering community’s sustainability priorities. The SCC networks with its 23 Commonwealth Campuses, leveraging local knowledge, unique programs, and Penn State resources to advance sustainability across the state of Pennsylvania.

An early adopter of the UN Sustainable Development Goals as a framework, the SCC works across all colleges and disciplines. The majority of SCC classes involve junior and senior undergraduate students, as well as occasional freshman or graduate classes.  

Since its inception, SCC has involved almost 4,000 students in 350 projects. Projects focus on building capacity within communities to address issues ranging from equity and inclusion, to the effects of climate change and economic challenges within the more than 2,000 local governments in the state.

Year Program Established | 2013-14
Country | US
Federal Region of Program | 3

Public or Private Institution | Public
Number of students at institution | 98,000

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Sustainable Communities Collaborative

City Partners

State College, home of the Penn State main campus, continues to be SCC’s primary supporter, but has been joined by an increasing number of small and larger local and county governments, and more urban areas near Reading, Pittsburgh, and Erie, Pennsylvania.

Contact Info

Ilona Ballreich
Program Manager
(814) 865-2291
ixb20@psu.edu

Paul Shrivastava, Ph.D.
Chief Sustainability Officer, The Pennsylvania State University
Director, Sustainability Institute
paul.shri@psu.edu

Sustainability Institute
106 Land and Water Research Building
University Park, PA 16802
(814) 865-7488