SSN Commentary

What We Can Learn From Partnerships in COVID Pandemic

Policy field

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University of Maine

Originally published as "What We Can Learn From Partnerships in COVID Pandemic," Bangor Daily News, March 9, 2021. 

The COVID-19 pandemic has been full of puzzling moments, and as we near its first anniversary, here’s a puzzle for you. What do the following three situations have in common?

Vaccinating our community.

Shopping local to support small businesses.

Planning urgent climate responses.

These three current events are examples of community partnerships. Vaccinations ask health care facilities, government and vaccine distributors to coordinate vaccination plans. Supporting small businesses call for collaboration between businesses, customers and state and federal aid programs to support local economies. And a changing climate demands the Maine Climate Council to build partnerships among experts and develop plans to respond to climate impacts in Maine. The pandemic reveals benefits of partnerships yet also challenges us to learn what it means to be strong together.