Outreach
Turning Knowledge into Community Action
"In partnership with industry and the state, we will explore ways to strengthen alignment with Connecticut’s economic development and workforce needs, including cultivating an active entrepreneurial environment." - University of Connecticut Strategic Plan 2024-2034
How Our Units Are Making Change
Natural Resources Conservation Academy (NRCA)
The Natural Resources Conservation Academy (NRCA) engages diverse teens and adults in conservation through place-based, experiential outdoor education and community partnerships that advance local environmental solutions. Challenging traditional leadership models, NRCA fosters innovation, equity, and inclusion across age and ability. Its programs—Conservation Ambassador Program, Conservation Training Partnerships, Teacher Professional Learning, Difference Maker Mentors, and Eco-Digital Storytellers—empower participants with natural resource science, geospatial technology, and digital media storytelling to address environmental justice. Central are near-peer mentorship, culturally sustaining pedagogy, and trauma-informed practices. To date, NRCA has supported 700+ participants and 340+ partners on 350+ projects across 185 communities.
Center for Environmental Sciences and Engineering (CESE)
The Center for Environmental Sciences and Engineering (CESE) partners with government agencies, nonprofits, and industry across the region to deliver high-quality, actionable data that strengthen critical water infrastructure, enhance environmental quality, and protect public health. Through advanced analytical capabilities and interdisciplinary expertise, CESE empowers external partners to address complex environmental challenges with confidence. Rooted in this service-oriented mission, CESE provides the scientific foundation to inform policy, guide management decisions, and advance meaningful, equitable outcomes for communities and ecosystems.
New England Thriving Communities Technical Assistance Center (NE TCTAC)
At the New England Thriving Communities Technical Assistance Center, experts provide free technical assistance, custom support and training to help towns, tribes, and nonprofits turn ideas into action. From healthy food access in Connecticut to stormwater resilience in Maine, NE TCTAC has provided support to 30+ organizations across New England in securing funding, strengthening proposals, and building sustainable solutions since 2024. NE TCTAC’s work spans environmental quality, clean energy, climate adaptation, and environmental health, all with the goal of empowering communities to grow stronger, healthier, and more resilient.
Office of Sustainability
Eversource Energy Center (EEC)
Harnessing the expertise of regional energy utilities, private developers, and government agencies, the Eversource Energy Center safeguards the electric grid through cutting-edge engineering and data-driven innovation. In the face of extreme weather and climate-related disruptions, the Center delivers sustainable energy solutions that benefit communities across the region. Key advancements include high-resolution storm and outage forecasting tools that enable utilities to pre-position response crews and reduce downtime, enhancing reliability for residents, businesses, municipalities, and underserved rural areas. Research on tree biomechanics, 3D imaging, and cyber-physical security further strengthens infrastructure, promotes forest health, and supports local preparedness.
Featured Outreach Efforts
Student Service Learning Project - Hop River Trail Tunnel
UConn students Robert Avena (left) and Sumeet Kadian (right) conducted a feasibility study during their first-year Service Learning class and recommended the installation of lighting through the Hop River Trail tunnel in Bolton Notch State Park (runs under Interstate 384 in Bolton, CT). The project, implemented by the Connecticut Department of Transportation (DOT) and the Department of Energy and Environmental Protection (DEEP), improves safety for bikers and pedestrians using the Hop River Trail.
Photo: Sydney Herdle/UConn Communications
Sea Grant Disaster Preparedness Pilot for Senior Residents
CT Sea Grant, UConn Extension, Anthropology, and Communications faculty are working on a two-year project to better prepare older residents for emergencies (pilot communities are Stamford, West Haven, and New London). The project includes roundtable discussions, listening sessions, and survey feedback to generate materials and programming to provide preparedness instructions, supplies, and other training to support senior residents and caregivers in the event of extreme weather.
Connecticut Scholars Strategy Network (SSN)
From the SSN Website: "Connecticut SSN brings together a vibrant, engaged group of scholars from disciplines ranging from African American studies to political science to medicine to sociology. Although interested in a broad range of public policies, we focus particularly on challenges in three areas: economic and social inequality, health and health care, and criminal justice and child welfare."
Extension Educators Launch School-Based Green Infrastructure Initiative
Supported by a $100,000 grant from the EPA, the program partners with CT school districts and sustainable development organizations to bring hands-on projects to students and teachers.
Give and Go - Move Out Collection
In partnership with UConn Community Outreach, the OS supports annual efforts to collect and distribute unwanted dorm furnishings, clothes, food, and more to local non-profit community organizations and incoming students in need.
Don't Mess with Mansfield Litter Cleanup
In partnership with the Town of Mansfield, Student Activities, and Facilities Operations, the OS leads volunteer recruitment and coordination of two community-wide litter cleanup days targeting on and off campus locations annually.