Ohio State’s community partnerships are focus of Engaged Scholarship event

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Ohio State's community partnerships are focus of Engaged Scholarship event

Symposium brought together Buckeye community, nonprofit organizations

Students, faculty and staff at The Ohio State University and their community partners shared their work and how it benefits Ohioans during the Engaged Scholarship Symposium presented by the Office of Outreach and Engagementearlier this month.

"We want to use the symposium as an opportunity to celebrate and shine a light on some of the great work that's happening here at the university, but more importantly in collaboration with our partners here in central Ohio and throughout the state," said Jason Reece, vice provost of urban research and community engagement. "We'll get to see examples of community partnerships in action - how do they work and how are they effective at having an impact in our communities that we all serve?"

The symposium, held at the Longaberger Alumni House, began with a session in which graduate students displayed posters with graphics and details about their community partnerships.

"Our graduate students are doing some of the very best, innovative, creative work out in the community … and I don't think we highlight it nearly enough," said Ryan Schmiesing, senior vice provost for external engagement. "It's really nice to see those poster sessions, which is only a small representation of what happens at this institution."

Graduate students also discussed their work during the opening panel discussion.

Adriana Martinez-Calvit, a PhD student in the College of Education and Human Ecology (EHE), said she works with central Ohio school districts to identify strategies to improve students' academic performance.

"So much of what we're wrestling with is, how do we help teachers and students?" she said. "How do we ensure that the policies and the practices that we are trying to promote are actually based on what we know helps children learn and engage and have meaningful experiences in schools?"

Sherifat Alabi, a PhD student in the College of Food, Agricultural and Environmental Sciences (CFAES), said her research aims to elevate the voices of small farmers in Ohio.

"I wanted to engage in research to tell the stories of these people, their motivation for what they do, their challenges and opportunities that they have so that we can encourage more people to engage in sustainable agriculture, because that is what we need right now," she said.

EHE Professor Eric Anderman said he and his colleagues help graduate students identify organizations that will benefit from their work.

"I think the most important thing for us to support the students is to be there for them and to help establish the relationships with the community partners," Anderman said.

CFAES Associate Professor Joy Rumble said graduate students' engagement work aligns with the mission of the university's Extension system.

"Engaged scholarship really ties closely to the land-grant mission," Rumble said. "Extension and getting our research out to the public is part of what we aim to do every day. When we take engaged scholarship a step further and we really take it seriously to engage our research and get it out to the public, we see the benefits of that land-grant mission."

During another panel discussion, Ohio State faculty and staff described how they established ongoing relationships with community organizations in central Ohio.

Courtney Price, co-founder and organizer of Ohio State's annual West Campus Science and Sustainability Festival (WestFest), said the university established the event to engage central Ohio residents with the latest research.

"Our goal is to give folks in the community a glimpse at Ohio State and to see that science is accessible and science is fun and it's connected to our everyday life," she said.

Franklin Park Conservatory's participation in WestFest has led to the conservatory's involvement in several other collaborations with Ohio State, said Jenny Pope, the conservatory's director of community outreach and education.

"That was really the springboard for us to continue our partnership through the years and get involved with many other projects," she said. "WestFest, in particular, helps us with our goals for community outreach."

In her keynote address, Lisa Courtice, president and CEO of United Way of Central Ohio, said Ohio State is essential to workforce development in the region.

"Our rich network of colleges and universities, especially Ohio State, significantly contributes to our ability to attract and retain a talented workforce," she said.

The symposium closed with a panel discussion on Ohio State's community partnerships across Ohio.

One noteworthy example: Ohio State students are some of the most dedicated volunteers at the Marion Family YMCA's teen and youth development program.

"They're really involved," program leader Toy Pendleton said, "because they want to make that difference."

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