Friends of Miss Bonnie – Neighborhood Partner Profile

Prof. Sorensen began a dialogue with members of the College Downs Community in 2010. In the summer of 2012 this partnership was reinvigorated with the creation of the Friends of Miss Bonnie (FOMB). Based in the College Downs neighborhood, the FOMB strives to improve communication between long-time residents, students living in College Downs, and UNC Charlotte. As of Spring 2013, the FOMB is working with Prof. Sorensen’s GEOG 2000 students to create a College Downs Living Guide for students as well as begin creating a dialogue between students and long-time residents of the neighborhood. The College Downs neighborhood has been the site of intense studentification as UNC Charlotte has grown rapidly in the past 5 years. CHARP hopes to build bridges between UNCC and College Downs. Our hope is that through an ongoing community-university partnership, the negative growth impacts hitting College Downs can be better understood and alleviated.