Douglas Recognized for Advancing Community-Engaged Learning with UW

The City of Douglas has received the University of Wyoming’s 2026 Community Partner Excellence Award in Experiential Education, recognizing its outstanding collaboration with the institution to create impactful, community-engaged learning opportunities.

 

The award was presented April 27 in Douglas by UW’s Office of Community Engagement, after the city was initially recognized at the university’s Experiential Education Showcase April 10.

 

Established by the Office of Community Engagement and UW’s Service, Leadership and Community Engagement Office, the Community Partner Excellence Award in Experiential Education honors a Wyoming organization that demonstrates exceptional collaboration with the university to support student learning through community engagement.

 

The recognition highlights the city’s partnership with a spring 2026 UW course, titled ENR 4600/5600: Campus Sustainability, taught by Grete Gansauer, an assistant professor in the Haub School of Environment and Natural Resources. Through this collaboration, students worked directly with city staff and community partners on applied projects addressing environmental, economic and social issues in Douglas.

 

The City of Douglas was recognized, in particular, for its commitment to authentic engagement as it welcomed students into ongoing community conversations and decision-making processes. This approach ensured that student work was grounded in local priorities while providing meaningful, applied learning and professional development experiences.

 

The university especially recognized the leadership of former City Manager J.D. Cox, Interim City Manager Michele Carter, Community Development Director Clara Chaffin and Mayor Kim Pexton, whose mentorship and commitment helped sustain and strengthen the partnership.

 

The course emphasis on partnership with a Wyoming community was informed by Gansauer’s 2025 participation in the UW Community Engaged Faculty Institute, which supports faculty members in integrating community engagement and service-learning into their teaching.

 

Throughout the semester, students collaborated with Douglas municipal staff, local leaders and community organizations to conduct research, site visits and stakeholder outreach. City of Douglas mentors guided students in completing capstone projects that addressed a range of topics, including water management; rural recycling systems; interpretive educational signage for Douglas Mountain; sustainable design concepts for a downtown community space; and community oral histories.

 

The partnership culminated April 27 with a community workshop in Douglas. Students presented their projects during a public poster session and community lunch at the Douglas Fire Hall, sharing findings and recommendations with residents, mentors and local stakeholders. During the event, the university formally presented the Community Partner Excellence Award to the city.

 

Students also delivered presentations later that day to the Douglas City Council, providing concise overviews of their work and responding to questions. The visit included a hike at the Douglas Mountain site -- where one student group developed interpretive educational signage -- further reinforcing connections between student learning and the local landscape.

 

The City of Douglas partnership with UW provides an example of how the state’s four-year university and Wyoming communities can work together. Through the partnership, students gained experience in research, collaboration and professional communication, while the city benefited from data-informed insights and expanded capacity to advance community initiatives.