POUGHKEEPSIE, NY — The National Society of Experiential Education (NSEE) has selected The Poughkeepsie Institute, the unique urban research collaboration among the City of Poughkeepsie, Culinary Institute of America, Dutchess Community College, Marist College, State University of New York at New Paltz, and Vassar College, for the 2005 America’s Community Partners of the Year Award.
Peter Leonard, director of both the Poughkeepsie Institute and the Vassar College field work program, Kurt Daw, Dean of Fine and Performing Arts at SUNY New Paltz, and Maria Marewski, executive director of the Children’s Media Project, a key community participant, will jointly accept the NSEE award at the organization’s October 29 national conference in Philadelphia.
A press conference explaining the civic, economic, and educational significance of the prestigious award will be held on Wednesday, November 2, at 10:00 a.m., at the Children’s Media Project offices, (in the Lady Washington Firehouse), 20 Academy Street, in downtown Poughkeepsie.
The Poughkeepsie Institute was created by a City of Poughkeepsie ordinance in 1995, and is the only U.S. academic collaboration with a municipality as a main partner. The semester-long course is jointly taught by both the participating colleges’ professors and community leaders, and requires direct student research. Institute findings are documented in a report and a short film, which students present to the community at a press conference, as well as to a hearing of the mayor and common council of Poughkeepsie.
Poughkeepsie Institute students have issued seven reports to date, including analyses of transportation, housing and homelessness, and waterfront development. When announcing its award, the NSEE particularly cited the Institute’s most recent research, on the economic and social role of the arts.
For more information, contact Peter Leonard at (845) 437-5280, and Jeff Kosmacher, Director of Media Relations, at (845) 437-7404.
Individuals with disabilities requiring accommodations or information on accessibility should contact Campus Activities Office at (845) 437-5370. Without sufficient notice, appropriate space and/or assistance may not be available.
Vassar College is a highly selective, coeducational, independent, residential liberal arts college founded in 1861.
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Find the people, expertise, and information you need by contacting:
Media Relations Department
(845) 437-7404
jekosmacher@vassar.edu
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