This year the city of DeWitt will help students at Augustana College get some "real world" experience. Students from two geography classes will study zoning as part of the college's Sustainable Working Landscapes Initiative.
Assistant professor of geography, Chris Strunk, says his students in urban design and urban planning will try to make up for the fact that DeWitt has no planning staff of its own.
In recent years, his students have done similar work for Clinton, and for the Green Bush neighborhood in Rock Island.
Rosalie Starenko, project manager for Augustana's Upper Mississippi Center, says these and other projects help students apply what they've learned in class.
Last year, students from several classes worked with Clinton on recreation, transportation, economic development, and marketing. Currently some students are helping Scott County figure out ways to eliminate lead from homes to prevent lead poisoning.
