The Hidden Labor of Sustaining Community Partnerships

Abstract

In this experience report, I discuss the difficult, often hidden, labor of setting up, developing, and maintaining the relationships that are foundational to community-engaged research. Drawing on my own partnership building experiences as a graduate student, a Director of Community Learning, and an Assistant Professor of English, I illuminate the complexities of relationship building while detailing practical examples of how to build and sustain strong community partnerships through three core processes: establishing connections, following through, and growing trust.