News

Melissa Currie, Tara Bengle, and Joe Howarth presented research at the Urban Affairs Conference regarding work that stemmed from CHARP’s partnership with Charlotte neighborhoods. Melissa Currie discussed her current dissertation research regarding the resiliency of starter home communities in Charlotte. Tara Bengle outlined the popular education model and how it is being employed for empowerment […]

Enderly Park residents and students worked together to put on an informative and fun day related to recycling, conservation, and taking better care of our planet. Booths at the Bette Rae Thomas Center focused on making art out of recyclable materials, identifying what can be recycled in Charlotte, composting, spoken word, and improving communication throughout […]

Students and residents came together this past weekend to rework and reopen the community garden located near the Nia Point Apartments. The event had music, games, and a lot of hard work to get the garden cleared, tilled, and replanted for the season. Those in attendance planted corn, carrots, collards, flowers, and squash. Residents hope […]

On April 28th the Enderly Park Neighborhood unveiled its new Community Garden Space at the Bette Rae Thomas Recreation Center. The Community Garden is in a unique open air, 4 walled area that maximizes available space at the recreation center. The Enderly Park Neighborhood Association, the Charlotte Action Research Project (CHARP), Project Safe Neighborhoods (PSN) […]

Residents of Graham Heights and UNCC students from Mu Tau Beta, an honor society for counseling professionals, hit the streets in support of The Great American Clean-up. We greatly appreciate the efforts of all of our volunteers. The weather held up and we made Graham Heights a beautiful place to be.

Residents of Windy Ridge in partnership with CHARP, the Charlotte Fire Department, City of Charlotte’s Neighborhood & Business Services, and the Charlotte-Mecklenburg Police Department hits the streets and knocked on doors to extend the olive branch and connect neighbors to each other and the services offered in Charlotte and Mecklenburg County. Students from Dr. Sorensen’s […]

Farm Pond residents had a blast as they came together and celebrated their community this past Saturday (April 29th). Youth and adults showed up to enjoy some music, food, games/activities, and to obtain resources. The American Red Cross partnered for the event and provided valuable resources to residents about their services. Other resources, such as […]

CHARP was greatly inspired by our recent visit from Dr. Ken Reardon, a professor of urban and regional planning at the University of Memphis. As a long time community activist, Ken has worked in East St. Louis, New York City and Memphis in an effort to empower and collaborate with people facing the direst structural […]

Check this article by Liz Bertrand from CrossroadsCharlotte. She talks about Graham Heights’ most recent event: The Spring Festival Block Party. http://www.crossroadscharlotte.org/bulletins/814/ACT-Project-Brings-Community-Together-in-Graham-Heights

The First Graham Heights Spring Festival Block Party was a massive success. Held on Saturday May 19th, the event brought over 200 of Graham Heights’ residents out to hear two great step bands, win gift cards for EnergyStar appliances from Lowe’s, and enjoy great food and fellowship. The gift cards for the appliances were provided […]

“Let’s Build a Playground” brought out familiar and new faces to celebrate the KaBOOM! playground that Reid Park residents and children will design and build on October 13, 2012. Residents and community partners enjoyed a cookout–thanks to Mecklenburg County Park and Rec for providing the grills and tables. Most importantly, children got excited learning about […]

Graham Heights residents celebrated when it was announced their neighborhood had the 2nd-most representatives at the 2nd Annual Northwest Corridor Community Day and Community Leadership Institute. The Graham Heights Neighborhood Association received $100 for the accolade. They thoroughly enjoyed the event and were thrilled to take home 2nd prize.

As part of its work with the Reid Park Neighborhood Association, CHARP has partnered with the Reid Park Academy and the Council for Children’s Rights to support their wrap-around initiative. This program will support students at Reid Park Academy with a full range of services, many of which will be housed in the soon-to-be-reopened Amay […]

The Graham Heights Neighborhood Association had a big day and evening on August 7th. Members of the Graham Heights went on a tour of the stunning topiary gardens of Pearl Fryar outside of Bishopville, SC (http://pearlfryar.com/). 104 people were on the tour and 20 of those people were from Graham Heights. Ms. Queen and Ms. […]

The KaBoom! build day is fast approaching. On October 13th volunteers will come together in Reid Park to construct a playground in one day and Reid Park needs all of the volunteers it can muster. If you’d like to volunteer, click on the link below and you can find out who to contact and how […]

Graham Heights held a successful fish fry out front of the Crystal Reggae Club Saturdy. The event raised funds in support of their neighborhood matching grant for neighborhood identification signs. The gentlemen of the neighborhood fried whiting and croaker while the ladies baked a variety of cakes for sale. Residents of Graham Heights, young and […]

Hundreds of volunteers, residents, UNCC students, and neighborhood kids helped build Reid Park’s new playground. Pictures are better than words to describe the massive and successful undertaking. Click on the ‘Kaboom Playground Build Fall 2012‘ on page linked below to see all of the great photos. Reid Park and CHARP would like to thank these […]

Reid Park receives a large amount of print and television news coverage over the past weekend. A lot of information about Habitat’s future in Reid Park. Mecklenburg Times Article WBTV Habitat News Story

Dr. Janni Sorensen, Liz Shockey, and Joe Howarth presented original research from our summer evaluation this past weekend at the Association of Collegiate Schools of Planning (ACSP) Conference in Cincinnati. Our presentation centered around CHARP’s history, a reflection on our sucesses and struggles in a variety of community-university partnerships, and the prominent themes that stemmed […]

The Reid Park Youth-Senior Luncheon series took place in the spring of 2011 and was funded by a Crossroads Charlotte A.C.T. Grant. (See the idea behind the story here.)

A new semester begins for CHARP. We already have a lot happening in our partner neighborhoods. Prof. Sorensen’s GEOG 2000 class will be working with Graham Heights, Enderly Park, and College Downs which is right across the street from UNCC’s campus. We have stronger relationships with our neighborhood partners than ever before. We hope to […]

Fascinating article about how The Truly Disadvantaged by W. J. Wilson created a new way of looking at poverty and the impact that book had on future academics. The Neighborhood Effect

Reid Park is a finalist in the Burpee Grow Anywhere Tour. The program supports school, home and community gardens in food deserts and, if selected, Burpee will deliver 1300 pounds of fresh produce to the community, 50 plants for the school garden, and the community will be awarded an additional 450 plants. Please vote for […]

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 […]