U of I, Tribe partnership is award finalist

COEUR d'ALENE - The University of Idaho is a finalist for the national C. Peter Magrath University/Community Engagement Award.

The university was selected for its partnership with the Coeur d'Alene Tribe and its communities, and is one of just five universities to be selected as a finalist.

The university/community partnership also received the Outreach Scholarship/W.K. Kellogg Foundation Engagement Award for the western U.S. region. The award, which included a $9,500 prize, honors the partnerships of a single university that has redesigned its teaching, research and outreach functions to become more involved with communities.

"This national recognition affirms our state partnerships, our commitment to student access and our commitment to serving all of our state's citizens as the land-grant institution of the 21st century," said Duane Nellis, University of Idaho president. "We appreciate the opportunity to be fully immersed in deep partnerships with our communities to advance and transform our state and our society."

The University of Idaho and the Coeur d'Alene Reservation communities began a large-scale partnership in fall 2006. The four small towns on the Coeur d'Alene Reservation - Plummer, Worley, Tensed and Desmet - created a community-wide vision and took action to overcome a legacy of underinvestment and poverty.

"This honor reflects the hard work of many people in the community and their commitment to making our reservation a better place," said Chief Allan, chairman of the Coeur d'Alene Tribe. "Being able to make decisions at the local level is critical to the success of One Sky North Idaho. I couldn't be happier with the program."

The Idaho Horizons program, run by University of Idaho Extension, is part of a seven-state initiative funded by the Northwest Area Foundation to reduce rural and reservation poverty.