Building Bridges Supporting University Community Partnerships At The

Leo Migdal

-Dec 7, 2025, 9:16 AM

building bridges supporting university community partnerships at the

Our grants support field-initiated research, career-development for early-career faculty, institutional change at universities, and projects to strengthen youth service nonprofits in New York City. Our mission is to support research to improve the lives of young people ages 5-25 in the United States. We pursue this mission by building bodies of useful research within two primary focus areas. The William T. Grant Foundation has been dedicated to supporting research in the social sciences since 1936. SPAA Assistant Professor of Professional Practice Diane Hill's Spring 2024 undergraduate course, "Building Bridges to the Community,” gave students the opportunity to explore effective strategies for building sustainable, impactful partnerships with community-based organizations.

Over the semester, students examined community engagement concepts, various techniques for supporting local community partners, and the roles of entities, such as universities, in assisting to build strong-healthy communities. Participants were introduced to the Transdisciplinary Intergenerational Community Engagement Model (TICEM), which has been used successfully with a broad array of audiences. They were also given the opportunity to pursue the citizen service certificate, "Leadership and No-Blame Problem Solving." At the conclusion of the course, students presented their final projects which focused on building community partnerships and experiential learning with community partners. Students were assigned to a community partner organization and collaborated with them to identify and address an issue relevant to their constituents. Students offered their thoughts on the course:

Rafeya Rahman, Class of 2024 "Building Bridges to the Community taught me how to methodically approach working with external and internal organizations. By putting these skills into practice with my fellow classmates and working with organizations around Newark, I feel better equipped to set out as a future public administrator in actively seeking out partnerships to... As someone who seeks a career in helping others through service, learning the best approaches and understanding what collaborators might seek in a partnership helped me prepare for future opportunities." Community engagement in higher education has emerged as a vital component that not only enriches the academic experience for students but also strengthens the fabric of local communities. It’s fascinating how universities, often seen as isolated bastions of knowledge, can actually serve as vibrant hubs of interaction, collaboration, and mutual growth. The significance of these engagements cannot be overstated; they create a symbiotic relationship where both students and community members benefit from shared experiences and resources.

Engagement can take many forms, from cultural tours that immerse students in the local heritage to service projects that address pressing community needs. Universities also foster partnerships with local businesses, creating a dynamic ecosystem that supports economic growth and cultural exchange. For instance, initiatives like UConn Waterbury’s Walkbury program exemplify how universities can actively contribute to their surroundings by encouraging students and faculty to explore and interact with the vibrant culture and history of their... Through Walkbury, participants have the unique opportunity to embark on food and cultural tours, engaging directly with local businesses and community leaders. This hands-on approach not only enhances students’ understanding of their community but also promotes a sense of belonging and responsibility. Imagine strolling through the historic downtown of Waterbury, sampling local delicacies at beloved eateries like Seven Villages and Grand Street Tavern, all while learning about the city’s rich architectural tapestry from knowledgeable guides.

This kind of experiential learning is invaluable, as it fosters critical thinking, cultural awareness, and a deeper appreciation for the community’s heritage. Moreover, community engagement initiatives like Walkbury have broader implications for community development and student learning. They encourage students to step outside their academic bubbles and witness firsthand the challenges and triumphs of the communities they inhabit. This exposure can inspire future leaders who are not only academically proficient but also socially conscious and equipped to drive positive change. The initiative aligns seamlessly with the university’s broader Ideas + Impact program, which empowers students to take the lead in social impact projects, ensuring that their educational journey is intertwined with real-world applications. The benefits extend beyond just the students.

Local businesses gain increased visibility and patronage, fostering economic vitality in the area. When students actively participate in their community, they contribute to a thriving local economy, which can lead to job creation and improved services. This reciprocal relationship between universities and local enterprises is essential for cultivating a healthy, vibrant community. This paper outlines a collaborative university-community initiative, Building Bridges, Not Walls: The Democracy and Diversity Project. Building Bridges emphasizes the critical role of community engagement in reducing barriers to democratic participation, social equity, and student success. In pursuit of these outcomes, we present a model of a sustainable, accessible, and cross-disciplinary network of sequenced engagement projects.

The interconnected cross-curricular projects are mutually designed and implemented with community partners, providing an emulatable case study to promote civic engagement in multiple contexts and communities. Building Bridges mobilizes sociological theory to consider the question of how universities can be regularly engaged with our communities in a consistent, collaborative, and sustainable manner. Informed by 'service sociology' literature we outline four stages of our Building Bridges model: design, implementation, evaluation, and reflective revision. These stages are concretized through application to our public university and community, providing a template for other universities and communities to follow. We propose integrated engagement as a means for universities to combat challenges to equity and diversity. As our communities face unprecedented tests to our democratic institutions, we contend that community engagement is higher education’s keenest armament.

Associate Professor, Department of Sociology, Augustana University Clinical Psychologist, Andwell Health Partners, Therapy and Early Learning Services USM Graduate 2022, University of Southern Maine Anderson, D., & Harris, B. (2005). Teaching social welfare policy: A comparison of two pedagogical approaches.

Journal of Social Work Education, 41(3), 511-526. https://doi.org/10.5175/JSWE.2005.200303120 During the pandemic, universities and colleges were shutting down their campuses and focusing on remote learning to reduce the spread of the COVID-19 virus. For many communities that were host to or near to an institution of higher learning, the move to remote learning created a negative economic ripple effect on the localized economy. Additionally, the move toward online learning also altered the type of engagement those institutions of higher learning offered to the broader community. According to an article published in Inside Higher Education, the pandemic forced many academics to rethink “their approaches to teaching and learning, as well as how key campus and community partners contribute to those...

Creating programs geared toward civic engagement, these partnerships are viewed as a “win-win” by providing students with valuable “real world” and hands-on learning, while helping communities solve complex and difficult societal issues, both contributing... The purpose of this article is to provide examples of a variety of different partnerships with cities and counties. It will also focus on how to develop a partnership and explain what factors and conditions can lead to a more successful and mutually reciprocal partnership. According to the Carnegie Foundation for the Advancement of Teaching and American Council on Education (ACE), both organizations worked to develop a classification system to recognize institutions of higher learning that were institutionalizing community... Their definition of community engagement is described as the partnering of “college and university knowledge and resources with those of the public and private sectors to enrich scholarship, research, and creative activity; enhance curriculum,...

Building Bridges Supporting University Community Partnerships At The

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