Summary of Idea
Our vision for the Carlisle Marketplace is to create a community cooperative for innovative, interdisciplinary learning applications that sustainably address food insecurities. The Carlisle Marketplace would model entrepreneurship that, in its distinctively Dickinson way, provides a hub for students, faculty, staff, and community members to purchase bulk goods and local products. Our inclusive, equitable space would connect sustainability education and community engagement. This space would be more than just a store, it would be a place where classes, clubs and community organizations would engage in understanding food systems and the Carlisle community, together. The marketplace would be a unifier between the arts, natural sciences, social sciences and the environment that could serve all. This hub could blend coursework, research, internships and experiential opportunities for learning at Dickinson in a way that directly benefits our neighbors. Its physical location, between campus and downtown, would unite Carlisle and Dickinson. The for-profit marketplace would be an avenue for alumni engagement, admissions recruiting, increased community visibility, and practical applications in social justice and innovation. The availability of bulk foods, local ingredients and College Farm value-added products would provide solutions to food insecurity of Dickinsonians as well as Carlisle residents.
How does your idea relate to or support the college's strategic framework?
We believe that this marketplace would encompass many key aspects of the college’s strategic framework as it would provide a space for useful, innovative and interdisciplinary education in the liberal arts and sciences to prepare students that are forward thinking and civically focused. The Carlisle Marketplace would engage Dickinsonians and community members in creating an inclusive space that values diversity and equity in a collaborative way that is committed to shared governance and transparency. The cooperative model lends itself to endless connections and adds to the focus Dickinson has placed on civic engagement and educating students for the common good while creating a visible, useful, community connection that opens doors for any discipline to connect. The market would engage Dickinsonians in sustainability and community resilience and give them an opportunity to pioneer innovative solutions that cultivate community while educating global citizen leaders. Food is a unifier, needed by all. By engaging students in understanding food systems, those involved can work towards a more just world. As a residential college, the market would serve as a place for advancing life skills, as this will serve as transformative living and learning space— a true incubator for collaboration, innovation and community.
What partnerships, on campus and off campus, do you envision?
We envision partnerships across various dimensions of campus and community life. Campus partners would include the College Farm, Center for Civic Learning and Action, Campus Dining, the office of financial operations, Student Leadership and Campus Engagement, Admissions, Dickinson Four, Marketing and Communications, College Advancement, Residence Life, and the Advising, Internships & Career Center. The proposed physical location, 169 W. High Street, would require partnerships with facilities, financial operations, and space planning committee to ensure that this Dickinson owned space is utilized to its fullest potential. The marketplace would also serve as a walkable location for many Carlisle residents, in an area that is food insecure.
The Center for Sustainability Education (CSE) would serve as a liaison to the curriculum, including academic departments in all divisions of the College, the Food Studies certificate and the Social Innovation and Entrepreneurship certificate. While existing faculty and curriculum development programs exist for sustainability education, the Carlisle Marketplace would simply provide a new and exciting lens for which to invigorate, connect and strengthen these programs. CSE’s strong relationships with faculty, the College Farm, and administrative offices across the college, makes it a critical partner in launching this next living laboratory.
Community partners could include local businesses, Farmers on the Square, local farmers, the Downtown Carlisle Association, Project Share and the Partnership for Better Health. The Northside Learning and Action Network, a strong existing collaborative team of faculty, staff, students and community leaders, would be a place to garner community support for this initiative. A representative advisory board would be formed from these existing strong partnerships.
How will your idea positively affect the education of Dickinson students?
The Dickinson education gives students the opportunity to learn beyond the classroom and this space would provide just that, by building on our existing strengths in sustainability, global education, civic engagement and interdisciplinary learning. The opportunities for positive impacts are limitless. Yes, this would be something new; but it would bring together existing projects, programs and offices with few additional resources needed. We envision curricular connections to business, art, food studies, SINE, environmental studies, and sociology classes among others. Not only do we want this to be a space for engaging coursework, research and academic projects, we want this to be a welcoming, inclusive space that will engage students in productive discussions outside of the classroom. We see this as a space that would add dimension to what interdisciplinary learning looks like and how it can be applied in a real-world setting. The Carlisle Marketplace will be Dickinson’s newest living laboratory to serve in educating citizen leaders with the skills to synthesize multiple sources of knowledge and perspectives in solving complex problems.
How will your idea positively impact the world beyond Dickinson's campus?
We believe the Carlisle Marketplace is something that would connect Dickinson and Carlisle community in a fresh and visionary way that would serve as model among institutions of higher education. Local studies have shown the need for this in the Carlisle community, and existing community organizations have outlined gaps for which the Carlisle Marketplace would serve as a solution. We see this space as an innovative asset with limitless potential to serve a hub for community-based learning, service and research. Growth would be phased and led by a diverse advisory committee. The Carlisle Marketplace will serve as a potential employer, place to volunteer, and an affordable place to acquire bulk foods (grains, snacks, nuts, flour, oats etc.), bulk items (soaps, shampoo, cleaners, laundry detergent etc.) and local foods (honey, Dickinson Farm produce and value-added products etc.). A goal of this venture would be to make this space as affordable as possible, while being able to sustain itself and benefit the college. This venue would also serve as a place for Dickinsonians and community members to sell wares (jewelry, scrunchies, wallets etc.) and artworks on consignment. The market could work to accept EBT, a community benefit, while providing a place for practical learning and community application for innovation, research and experiential opportunities for our students.