We invite you to spend a little time getting to know us and learn about what makes UROC tick. UROC is a University of Minnesota research center, but it’s also an important resource for the North Minneapolis community. It’s a gathering place for local residents, an educational and cultural setting, and a living laboratory where the community and University researchers work together to improve the lives of those in urban areas.
The Robert J. Jones Urban Research and Outreach-Engagement Center is a unit of the University of Minnesota Office for Public Engagement within the Office of the Executive Vice President and Provost.
Join scholars and community members in a UROC Critical Conversation of Minneapolis's hidden history of racial covenants in Minneapolis. The discussion will center on new research showing what communities of color have known for decades—that structural barriers and legalized discrimination barred many people of color from buying property and building wealth for most of the last century.
UROC's annual open house event will honor North Minneapolis' vibrant history and cultural assets through a wide variety of free, family-friendly, and fun activities, displays, and programs. Record a mini-oral history of your personal Plymouth Avenue stories; find your roots in a interactive family tree; enjoy a Northside Slow Roll Bike Demo; take a trip down memory lane by sampling dishes inspired by gone-but-not-forgotten Lucille’s Kitchen, and much more.
University of Minnesota Landscape Arboretum staff will host a PlantMaker Studio, a hands-on experience that encourages nature exploration through crafts involving plants.
Financial experts from the University of Minnesota Extension's Family Resiliency Team will be on hand at UROC to offer tips on credit and debt management, budgeting, navigating college expenses, and more . The Neighborhood U event is geared toward teens and adults and is free and open to the public.