Thank you for the Civic Impact Fund, which propels our work with students and community partners to address locally identified priorities. Your support drives meaningful collaboration that strengthens our region, particularly in areas such as health equity, food security, and housing stability.

This fund supports critical initiatives, including community-based internships, faculty development, an innovative academic minor, and partnerships that create pathways for students to engage with complex social challenges. Here's how your investment is making a difference:

Four students collaborated with three local organizations on initiatives focused on housing security, mental health, and food access. These eight-week placements provided hands-on experience while supporting community distributions, marketing efforts, hotline assistance, and translation services for Spanish-speaking residents.

Our annual training equips faculty to teach community-engaged courses and prepares staff to lead community initiatives. Topics include curriculum design, equity and inclusion, and deep exploration of regional needs. This work has transformed how academic departments integrate public purpose into their missions—from retention and tenure criteria to regular community-engaged courses that now serve approximately 700 students annually.

We bring college courses inside correctional facilities, with equal numbers of incarcerated and degree-seeking students learning together. The fund supports faculty training, course materials, and student projects that challenge boundaries and foster a deeper understanding.

When students have exhausted their federal work-study awards but still wish to continue their community work, this fund ensures they can. It also enables students ineligible for work-study to participate in civic engagement opportunities.

Launched this fall, this minor builds competencies in community engagement through coursework and experiential learning. Students explore frameworks like Social Determinants of Health and UN Sustainable Development Goals while developing skills in cultural humility, conflict resolution, and ethical leadership.

CCELLR will welcome a new community-engaged faculty fellow, supported by the Candland Fund. The Faculty Fellow will play a key role in civic and community engagement initiatives in teaching and research, working closely with the Director of the Office of Civic Engagement, the Faculty Director of Academic Civic Engagement, and the Associate Director for Community-Engaged Learning. Responsibilities include: promoting and developing best practices in community-engaged teaching and research in partnership with community organizations, research workshops, and other educational and professional development opportunities for faculty and staff, supporting and promoting the Fall 2024 launch of the new Community Engaged Leadership Minor, and assisting in the development of CEL/CBL course assessment.

The fund supports our civic engagement platform, which connects students with community organizations and tracks participation and impact. It also powers our voter engagement initiative, enabling us to exceed our goals for registration and turnout.

Your partnership enables us to meet communities where they are—with dignity, respect, and a commitment to addressing root causes rather than symptoms. Thank you for advancing this transformative work.