A group of 15 NIU students had a tall order ahead of them this academic year—with nearly $60 million at stake—and many of them celebrated their accomplishments in style this week in Springfield.
Credit: Photo by Myles Tan on Unsplash.
The students served as supervised grant reviewers for the Illinois Department of Natural Resources (IDNR). As such, the upperclassmen and graduate students selected the best of hundreds of proposals from park, forest preserve and conservation districts seeking a share of $59 million in funding through this year’s Open Space Land Acquisition and Development (OSLAD) Program.
Six of the students traveled with Professor Thomas Skuzinski to the state capital Monday and Tuesday, where they rubbed shoulders with federal and state park leaders, toured the IDNR and the state Capitol building, and were formally acknowledged on the State House floor by Rep. Jeff Keicher.
The grants were then announced in a press conference Wednesday attended by Gov. J.B. Pritzker. It was the largest round of program funding ever, and for the first time in program history, funding will cover 100% of eligible projects located in economically distressed communities, resulting in 22 underserved locations receiving OSLAD grants.
“Not only did we get great professional assistance from the students at NIU, but the students got an inside look at how IDNR serves its constituents,” IDNR Director Natalie Phelps Finnie said. “I look forward to building on this partnership.”
Professor Thomas Skuzinski (center) and NIU students visited earlier this week with leaders from the National Parks Service at the Illinois Department of Natural Resources.
NIU awarded $850k grant
Last year, the IDNR awarded $850,000 for the grant-review project to the NIU Institute for the Study of Environment, Sustainability and Energy (ESE), directed by Skuzinski, a professor of public administration.
The funding supported program costs, including stipends for 10 upper-level Huskie undergraduates and two semesters of full-time funding plus tuition for five graduate students. Students selected for the program reflected both the rich diversity and academic excellence of NIU.
“This was the first time any state agency in Illinois has allowed students the opportunity to serve as supervised grant reviewers,” Skuzinski said. “It’s truly a first-of-its-kind program.”
The state-financed OSLAD Program provides funding assistance to local government agencies for acquisition and/or development of land for public parks and open space. Project sites vary from small neighborhood parks or tot lots to large community and county parks and nature areas. Financed by a percentage of the state’s Real Estate Transfer Tax, the program provides funding assistance up to 50% (100% for distressed communities) of approved project costs.
Fulfilling community-engagement mission
“NIU has a mission-driven commitment to community engagement, and this effort will have a sizeable impact on communities throughout Illinois,” said Skuzinski, who holds a law degree as well a Ph.D. in urban and regional planning.
Credit: Photo by Honey Yanibel Minaya Cruz on Unsplash
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The ESE institute he oversees fosters research, education and community engagement about the environment and sustainability, and also offers two undergraduate degrees in environmental studies, as well as a minor and two certificate programs.
All of the undergraduates who participated in the grant program are environmental studies majors, so the experience related closely to their academic expertise. The contract with IDNR also supports the ability of the institute to grow new programs for faculty and student success in transdisciplinary research, experiential learning and community engagement.
“Our students are really excited about the impact this program will have on neighborhoods, communities and counties,” Skuzinski said.
“They remember the impact that parks and open spaces had on the communities where they grew up, and they want others to be able to share in those experiences. The students not only put their expertise in environmental studies to good use but also learned to work at a high level of professionalism with a state agency.”
Educational experience for students
Senior environmental studies major Jennifer Schaumberg, whose focus area is water sciences, said she couldn’t pass up the opportunity to work on the project. The experience helped her more clearly understand the importance of community access to bodies of water and provided her with other valuable lessons.
“Working with the Illinois Department of Natural Resources has been educational and insightful, and I am very grateful for this opportunity,” said Schaumberg, a native of Streator. “This project has not only taught me how to better manage my time, but to be more communicative about questions and concerns, become familiar with official documents, work collaboratively, and much more. Through this project, I gained insights on the behind-the-scenes processes of what IDNR does for communities.”
Graduate student reviewer Virginia Sotelo is pursuing her master’s degree in philosophy, and she also has benefitted from the experience.
“This project is only loosely related to my area of study through ethics,” said the 27-year-old from Laredo, Texas. “However, because of the impact that it seems to have on local communities, especially those with higher needs, I consider it to be a pretty positive addition to my experience as a graduate student.
“Working on this project has really shown me the crucial role that each individual’s involvement in local affairs plays on the improvement of their community,” Sotelo added.
How the process worked
The NIU students weren’t without support as they reviewed grants for potential funding.
Professor Skuzinski (right) on campus with NIU student grant reviewers.
Skuzinski said the undergraduates were grouped into teams. Graduate-level students oversaw a pair of student reviewers and in turn were supervised by one of five retired park district administrators who participated in the program. Skuzinski and ESE Assistant Director Melissa Burlingame reviewed all recommendations as well, while office manager Rave Meyer provided project support.
“It makes for an objective process,” Skuzinski said. “Every grant was assessed by five people.”
Margaret Resnick previously served as executive director for the Mundelein Park & Recreation District and spent more than three decades in parks and recreation. She was happy to lend her expertise to the project, reviewing and scoring grant applications.
“I believe (NIU students) will get an insight into how a large state agency determines how to distribute funds, as well as the recreational needs of large and small communities throughout the state,” Resnick said. “The OSLAD program is a vital funding source for agencies throughout the State of Illinois, and I was thrilled to be able to help in any way I could.”
In addition to Schaumberg and Sotelo, students involved in the project included graduate students Jonathan Adsit (history), Ali Oku (biological sciences), Orlando Reyes (philosophy) and Kristin Vrona (economics); and undergraduates Ashley Barry, Gabriel Cabrera Ruiz, Eric Faulkner, Julia Graczyk (graduated December 2022), Christiana Guthrie, Samuel Lepien, Allyson Thompson, Marty Trujillo and Kate Vos.
