Students from the School of Urban & Regional Planning course Community Development in the Upper Midwest interviewed several Chin Burmese residents of Columbus Junction to produce a short film about their sense of home in their new community.

Students from the School of Urban & Regional Planning course Community Development in the Upper Midwest worked with Latinx teens in Columbus Junction's Upward Bound program to produce videos and books that help tell the 150 year story of the community through interviews and historical artifacts.

Graduate and advanced undergraduates in urban planning, the social sciences, the humanities, and the arts examined the many challenges facing small- to medium-sized towns in Iowa and elsewhere in the Upper Midwest and work towards community-based solutions.

Students in the Course Advanced Strategic Communications developed communication strategies and defined key goals for the celebration of Columbus Junction's sesquicentennial.

In 2024, Columbus Junction will commemorate 150 years as a community.  By getting an early start on planning with the students at the University of Iowa, Mallory Smith, Columbus Junction Community Development Director, is hoping to use the sesquicentennial event as an opportunity to celebrate the ever-changing Columbus Junction community and promote city improvement projects.

Students developed a series of events that aligned with Earth Day celebrations and involved residents. The final proposal outlined three goals and strategies: actively engage residents in community projects that incorporate sustainability; raise household awareness of resources to help sustain, build, and strengthen the community; and engage the youth and adolescent populations.