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Building Bridges to the Community

One of the Public Goods Council's most vital roles is to assist the University of Michigan in fulfilling its mission of service to the community.

PGC members continually collaborate on ways to extend the University's reach into the community through teaching, partnering, and resource sharing. At the same time, the Public Goods Council strives to engage members of the community through innovative programs that encourage public participation or attendance. These efforts touch the lives of several hundred thousand people or more each year.

Collectively, the Public Goods Council creates opportunities in the arts, music, design, nature and heritage that transcend any individual academic unit, and provides a great service to the Ann Arbor community and beyond. In recent years, electronic technologies have enabled PGC members to reach and educate increasingly widespread audiences.

This town-and-gown partnering is exemplified by the "Making of Ann Arbor" project, which involved the Bentley Historical Library and the University Library - working closely with the Ann Arbor District Library and local K-12 schools. Historical information and photographs from the Bentley Historical Library provided the basis for a narrative overview of Ann Arbor history, which is contained on a Web site created by the University Library's Digital Library Production Service.

Building bridges from academia to the larger community was the focus of a unique partnering between Nichols Arboretum and the University Musical Society. The Huron River, which flows through the Arboretum, provided the ideal setting for two performances of "River" by world-renowned dance artists Eiko & Koma. Local residents, who have come to regard the Arboretum as a place to learn, reflect and renew themselves through contact with the natural world, were encouraged to add yet another dimension to their enjoyment by attending these extraordinary outdoor dance performances.

There are many exciting opportunities for the Public Goods Council to contribute to the cultural richness of Ann Arbor and the broader world. During the Royal Shakespeare Company's three-week residency, for example, the University Musical Society features public performances complemented by an exhibition of Shakespearean production and costume design mounted by the University Library.

Clearly, the dynamic work of the Public Goods Council has just begun. Its success in coming years will serve to enrich the University's research institutions, faculty and students, as well as the community and the public that support the University.

Last updated: March 6, 2006
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