Community-university Partnership Research Articles

From Failure to Inquiry: Three Problem-Solving Strategies for Community Literacy Researchers

Failure is a significant issue for researchers conducting community-engaged work. This article responds to calls to share research failures more transparently and to create reflective spaces for students to examine moments of failure. We offer our experience adapting three problem-solving strategies from a community literacy course (adaptive problem-solving, rivaling, and critical incident interviewing) to help each other revisit our own “failed” attempts at community-engaged work. By applying these problem-solving strategies to reflect on our experiences—advocating for graduate student parents, working with a summer literacy program, and collaborating with parents of disabled children—we show how these strategies can transform an initial sense of stigmatized failure into a longer process of inquiry and growth. Our approach, we believe, represents an important literate practice for community-based scholars, not only for those seeking to create more collaborative reflective space within university-community partnership, but also for novice scholars navigating the challenges of community-engaged work for the first time.

Social Work and Community Engagement: A Case Study of a University/Community Collaborative Project in Trinidad and Tobago

Over the past decade, there has been a call for social work education to promote student engagement more meaningfully in communities. Despite this, there is limited literature which provides insights into the experiences of establishing university–community partnerships and the possibilities of social work education to engage in such partnerships. This article reports on a case study in Trinidad and Tobago and outlines the processes involved in establishing the University of the West Indies (UWI)/Farm Road Collaborative Project, a university partnership with a community in the immediate vicinity of the university. This article contributes to the emerging literature on the roles of universities and schools of social work in addressing community development needs and has special implications for university–community engagements in the Global South.

Critical Empowerment Frameworks Paramount to Social Justice Work

As we continue to navigate the complex challenges of a pandemic and the urgent need for racial justice, social work faculty are well positioned to train the next generation of social workers in human rights work and structural change movements. Authors discuss how engaging key critical empowerment frameworks that include critical race theory, structural competency, together with a decolonizing and transdisciplinary lens within community-engaged research and practice can provide social work students models for collective impact. Leveraging university-community partnerships to directly provide faculty mentorship around human rights work will also be discussed. One author has been working with the institution’s law school and their Neighborhood Legal Assistance Project to provide support, legal resources, and advocacy. She has also co-founded and is developing a Chicago-based coalition to address intimate partner violence-induced brain injury. The second author has helped start and develop two coalitions to advance a coordinated structural response involving the provision of mental health resource support and psychosocial forensic asylum assessments within immigrant communities. Authors also discuss how students have been engaged in health equity work through a racial and healing justice initiative that values and provides training around healing circles within indigenous communities and communities of color. Through these rich learning experiences, students internalize the value of critical empowerment frameworks that inform participatory approaches in collaboration and coalition building that are essential to social justice work and the process of social and structural change.

University-Community Partnership Model to Support Rural STEM Teaching and Student Engagement

Rural economically disadvantaged communities face unique challenges in engaging students in science, technology, engineering, and mathematics (STEM). School district administrators, teachers, and students do not have access to high-quality STEM opportunities compared to urban schools. This article describes a partnership between a small, private STEM university and a network of school districts scattered across the geographically isolated region of upstate New York. The partnership’s primary goal is to support the teaching and learning of STEM. This is achieved through actively engaging a range of university and community stakeholders in STEM enrichment and professional development. Programming includes summer camps and after-school activities, challenges and competitions that focus on inspiring students to pursue STEM careers, undergraduate and graduate student mentors, and a university curriculum designed to prepare teachers to work in high-need school districts. Activities are supported by the university’s Institute for STEM Education, which fosters collaborations for like-minded faculty and campus members to pursue grant opportunities and connect with community members. The paper describes various program components and how they work to support each other, discusses impacts of the program, and describes ways in which elements can be implemented elsewhere.

The Michigan Farmworker Project: Development and Implementation of a Collaborative Community-Based Research Project Assessing Precarious Employment and Labor Exploitation

Farmworkers are among the most underserved and marginalized populations of workers despite their essential role in the U.S. food supply chain. The Michigan Farmworker Project (MFP) evolved as a collaborative, community-based participatory project among state and regional service entities, legal service organizations, and the university. The overarching goal of the project was to study the relationship of precarious working conditions and labor exploitation with occupational and environmental health inequities and social justice for farmworkers in Michigan. We employed critical race theory and community-based participatory research approaches to guide the development and implementation of the MFP. We describe the development of the participatory process with community partners and discuss implementation challenges and lessons learned from the field. Throughout the research, we reflect on how farmworkers’ social and working environment goes beyond precarity, revealing labor exploitation as an important deterrent of farmworker health and well-being. Despite entrenched systems of structural oppression, farmworkers contribute to and improve our society with their rich cultural backgrounds, their work, and their resilience. The diverse composition of this community-university partnership amplified collaboration, enriched our understanding of the role of precarity and labor exploitation among farmworkers, and contributed to the study’s success. The MFP will continue strengthening the community-university partnership with the goal of continuing to address health inequities in the farmworker population.

CiviAct: Negotiating ‘fields of paradox’ in anti-racist university community partnerships

This article introduces and critically reflects upon the development of CiviAct – a multi-agency project that partners six anti-racist activist organisations and two universities in the North of England. CiviAct seeks to support and realise the benefits of youth and community-led civic action. It does this by: (i) financially resourcing the work of six anti-racist activist organisations; (ii) connecting those organisations with each other to create new opportunities for co-learning; and (iii) exploring new models of community-led university partnership. Based on insights derived from a 12-month development period (conducted throughout the first wave of the Covid-19 pandemic) we examine points of tension, manifested at the intersections between community partners, universities and project funders. Extending Strier’s discussion of university-community partnerships (UCP) as ‘fields of paradox’, we outline the complexities of collaborative working within a UCP that seeks to adhere to the priorities of anti-racism and an ethic of love. In doing so this article surfaces the burden of boundary work undertaken by both academic partners seeking to prioritise knowledge and anti-racist practices beyond the academy, and community activists, who are expected to conform with institutional standards that may have little relevance to their practice. The article contributes a series of reflections that may be of use to other activist researchers engaged in UCP.

Developing Equitable and Mutually Beneficial Virtual Community-Engaged Learning Opportunities

The COVID-19 pandemic necessitated an abrupt shift to virtual community-university partnerships for many community partners, instructors teaching community-engaged learning courses, and students. This shift exacerbated challenges to fostering mutually beneficial, equitable community-university partnerships, potentially affecting access to and participation in programs benefiting K-12 and college students alike. This paper discusses the Writing Partners letter exchange program, highlighting how challenges were considered and addressed, as well as ways we could improve in future semesters of community-engaged learning. Assessment data using surveys suggested challenges related to exchanging letters virtually and use of videos in lieu of an in-person university campus tour. Solutions included partnership meetings and early planning for future virtual events. We then discuss lessons learned and future directions for mutually beneficial and equitable community-university partnerships that could involve virtual work for various reasons. This paper adds to emerging literature which shares experiences related to virtual community-engaged learning. Sharing our experiences and lessons learned through the Writing Partners program will inform educators and administrators interested in implementing similar letter exchange programs, as well as those interested in learning more about community-university partnerships in the virtual space.

A collaborative effort to address maintenance of green infrastructure through a university–community partnership

A collaborative effort to address maintenance of green infrastructure through a university–community partnership

Evaluating Levels of Community Participation in a University-Community Partnership: The Jackson Heart Study.

Objective: This research was designed to evaluate the perceptions of the Jackson Heart Study (JHS) community relating to their levels of involvement in JHS activities that were developed to address health disparities and promote health education and health promotion. Methods: The participants for this study comprised 128 community members, who included JHS participants, as well as family members and other friends of the JHS who resided in the JHS community of Hinds, Madison, and Rankin Counties in Mississippi and attended the JHS Annual Celebration of Life. We used the Chi-Square test to analyze the participants’ responses to the survey questions developed to address the six areas of focus: (1) ways to increase participation in community outreach activities; (2) reasons for participating in community outreach activities; (3) interest in research participation; (4) factors influencing engagement; (5) Participants’ preferences for communicating; (6) Chronic disease prevalence. Results: Participants residing in rural counties perceived television and radio as a medium to increase participation; More female respondents cited trust working with the JSU JHS Community Outreach Center (CORC) as a reason for remaining engaged in the community outreach activities; younger participants under 66 years of age recommended social media as a way to increase participation; participants residing in the rural areas saw their participation in the community outreach activities as a way to address community health problems. Conclusions: The knowledge gained from the details provided by the JHS community members can be used to refine research studies in existence, while promoting their sustainability.

A grounded theory on collaborative interactions in a community-university partnership: the case of youth in the public space

Background:Research impact is at least partly generated through collaborative interactions, yet the associations between knowledge production and impact are far more complex than relatively simple linear models generally describe. Aims and objectives:In this case study, we focus on a community-university partnership and try to answer the question, ‘What are the conditions that facilitate or hinder successful collaborative interactions aimed towards solving a shared challenge between partners from different organisations?’ Methods:A set of four co-creation sessions with diverse stakeholders was organised with the aim of tackling the nuisance caused by youth in a specific deprived neighbourhood in Belgium. The sessions were video-recorded, transcribed verbatim, and analysed following a Grounded Theory (GT) approach to develop theoretical understandings of the process of knowledge production and research impact. Findings:Roles and mandates of individual stakeholder representatives determine (and hinder) their access to (confidential) information, but also their visibility and accessibility towards youth as end users. Achieving positive outcomes through collaboration was perceived by stakeholders as slowly evolving towards small successes, and was facilitated by being able to accept failure, working in a climate of trust, developing a shared identity, managing expectations, informally sharing information, and being able to connect with youth. Discussion and conclusions:We reflect on the importance of overcoming organisational asymmetries in collaborative interactions through installing feedback loops, and through the particular roles of boundary organisations, boundary objects, and practical tools that can help steer iterative collaborative interactions towards positive impact.

The capacity for direct engagement: case study of a neighborhood assistance center in a university–community partnership

ABSTRACT Variations in capacity among neighborhood associations (NAs) may impede their ability to address resident needs. In many cities, neighborhood assistance centers (NACs) offer programs and services that help NAs build organizational capacity to achieve their objectives. As ambassadors of NA interests, NACs may aid in fostering direct engagement to extend the potential for community partnerships. Utilizing an exploratory case study approach, this research examines the role of a NAC in a university–community (U-C) partnership toward improving NA capacity in Omaha, Nebraska. The main finding of this investigation is that NACs, acting as intermediaries, may conciliate U-C partnerships that would otherwise be inaccessible or impracticable for individual NAs. Congruent with extant literature, the analysis describes a model of central themes for direct engagement and offers recommendations for U-C partnerships with NACs.

Support and Aid to Families Electronically (SAFE): Addressing Intersecting Academic and Community Needs

ABSTRACT In response to the COVID-19 pandemic, schools from elementary to post-secondary suddenly shifted to remote learning, placing a heavy burden on parents and caregivers. Likewise, social work practicum placements pivoted to remote learning, compounding existing difficulties securing practicum opportunities. This article describes a response to these challenges. The Support and Aid to Families Electronically (SAFE) practicum pilot program was developed through a community-university partnership between the King’s University College at Western University’s School of Social Work and the Thames Valley District School Board. SAFE addresses parental stress and mental health through free and immediate online counselling, while providing stable remote practicum placements. SAFE provides a model for increasing practicum opportunities while simultaneously supporting the needs of underserviced communities.

Engaging Diversity

Engaging Diversity

Defining success in community-university partnerships: lessons learned from Flint

ABSTRACT The success of responsible research and innovation (RRI) work is as much about the process of partnership as it is about the products and outcomes. In this paper, we present lessons learned from the first three years of a participatory modeling (PM) research project based on RRI principles and focused on the transformation of the food system in Flint, Michigan through identification of leverage points. Participatory modeling is a type of community engaged research that seeks to build representations of a system collaboratively between researchers, decision-makers, and community members. We discuss the challenges, opportunities, and lessons learned from the Flint Leverage Points Project (FLPP) using the four ‘Ps’ framework–purpose, processes, partnerships and products. We argue a carefully designed participatory modeling process can serve to build lasting partnerships across community-university boundaries.

When Higher Education Meets Sustainable Development of Rural Areas: Lessons Learned from a Community–University Partnership

Sustainable development in mountain areas faces numerous socioenvironmental and economic challenges that public institutions have sought to address for decades. The EU is increasingly demanding Higher Education Institutions be more socially relevant and responsible in addressing the needs of these often-underserved communities. To this end, one central principle of the Erasmus+ Project 2014–2020, also consolidated by the Programme 2021–2027, has been to enhance the development, transfer, and implementation of innovative practices fostering social engagement at the local and international levels. The paper describes a case study developed in the “Socially Engaged Universities—(SEU)” project, co-funded by the Erasmus+ Programme 2014–2020, which aimed to strengthen the cooperation between universities and local communities. A local foundation and the University of Parma co-piloted a project to strengthen the short supply chains of a group of farmers in the Italian Appennines. The partnership identified factors that fostered and hampered the effectiveness of community–university partnerships. We propose some final recommendations to ensure that sustainable rural development fully leverages university resources. This includes higher education teaching and research programmes tailored toward the needs of the local community.

When Is a Partnership Not a Partnership? Reflecting on Inherent Challenges in University-Community Collaborations on Educational Programs

In our research on supported education (SEd) programs in Canadian psychiatric hospitals, community-university partnerships have offered hopeful findings that demonstrate the potential for improved social and educational outcomes for patients in these programs. There were inherent challenges associated with conducting academic research on these programs alongside nonacademic partners. While some of our research collaborators, who were patient-educators with varying backgrounds, were fully engaged in the research process, others were only somewhat engaged, and some wanted minimal involvement. Because most psychiatric hospital–based research involves medical or pharmaceutical research, we did not locate established frameworks that could be used as models for our educational qualitative research. Although we encountered some obstacles to fully engaged partnerships, we still conducted productive collaborations that resulted in rich, broadly useful qualitative and quantitative data from interviews with students, teachers, and administrators. That being said, we found that in trying to respect the limited time availability of our partners, we ended up with less input from our partners than we had originally hoped for. The lessons we learned—such as the need for clearer role definitions and strategies to manage power imbalances, conflicting objectives, and time constraints faced by nonacademic collaborators—may be applied to other projects that engage community partners whose time and capacity constraints may inhibit their full engagement, such as municipalities supporting long-term care homes or emergency shelters.

Navigating the Triumphs and Tribulations of a University-Community Children’s Mental Health Partnership: Reflections on the First Year as Told by Graduate Students

This paper describes a newly established community-based participatory research partnership that brings together professionals from several disciplines to gain greater insight into the needs of children and the families of children seeking mental health services in a community setting. This paper, written from the perspective of graduate students, outlines the successes and challenges that have accompanied the establishment of our university-community partnership. Informed by the interactive and contextual model of collaboration (Suarez-Balcazar et al., 2005), this paper outlines key elements of developing and sustaining a community-based partnership and offers reflections on our personal experiences and lessons learned as graduate students within the partnership. Our examination reveals that adequate and consistent communication and the early establishment of trust and mutual respect among partners have been integral components of the emergence and success of this partnership.

Valuing the Aspirations of the Community: The Origins of a Community–University Partnership

Universities are increasingly prioritizing engagement and collaboration with their local communities. While such partnerships can be mutually beneficial, they can often perpetuate and exacerbate power differentials, particularly when the community partners belong to racially minoritized groups. This qualitative paper examines the founding of a community–university partnership between a Black, low-income community and a predominantly White university. Through the theoretical framework of aspirational capital, we find that valuing the experiences and aspirations of the community helped establish a more equitable partnership forged to support a community-led, culturally relevant after-school program. Centering the aspirations of Black community members and the epistemologies of the Black women on the program staff also served to acknowledge and address power imbalances at the founding stages of the partnership. Recognizing and valuing the aspirational capital of community members also positively impacted the university-based staff’s ability to function as boundary spanners between the university and community who could adequately articulate the desires and needs of program staff. We argue that by recognizing and valuing the aspirational capital already present in low-income Black communities, universities can create more equitable partnerships for positive social change.

Navigating inequities in the delivery of youth mental health care during the COVID-19 pandemic: perspectives of youth, families, and service providers

ObjectivesThere have been concerns about the adverse effects of the COVID-19 pandemic on Canadian youth (aged 16–24) as they have the highest rates of mental health concerns. The objectives of the present study were to explore the experiences of youth with mental health and/or addiction concerns and their families during the pandemic, and to examine how adequate and equitable mental health services have been for youth and families from the perspectives of youth, parents, and service providers.MethodsUsing a descriptive qualitative research design and a university–community partnership, we conducted individual interviews with youth, parents, and service providers. The study involved a total of 25 participants (n=15 service users, n=10 service providers). Among the service users, 11 participants were parents and four were youth. We used thematic analysis to analyze interview data.ResultsThe thematic analysis identified three themes in the data: (1) youth mental health concerns have increased, whereas supports have decreased, (2) families end up being the treatment team with increased burden, little support, and lack of recognition, and (3) inadequate and inequitable mental health services for youth and families are amplified during the pandemic.ConclusionAt a time when mental health needs were higher, the mental health care system offered less support to youth and their families. For a more equitable response to the pandemic, we need an accessible and integrated mental health care system that shows a commitment to addressing social determinants and reducing health disparities and inequities in access to mental health services.

The Role of Community-Engaged Learning in Engineering Education for Sustainable Development

This paper presents the positive experience of facilitating over 300 community-engaged engineering projects at an Irish higher-education institution. The projects are framed by a research orientation, a commitment to civic engagement, and building university–community partnerships, city–university partnerships, and partnerships with other official agencies, so that community users can provide real learning problems and contexts for students and researchers and benefit from the results. The paper highlights how well the outlined approach fits with the ideas of engaged scholarship and civic professionalism, and facilitates sustainable development. Students recognise the long-term value of engaging with community partners, understanding their future role in the community as engineers, reinforcing the idea that their work can respond directly to real needs in the community, while promoting the sustainability agenda at the same time. The approach presented in this study will not only enable the development of future models for embedding sustainability in engineering programs, but will also equip future engineers with transferable skills to ensure that sustainable development goes beyond university courses and is practiced every day.