Regional CSD meeting

New England Campus Compact Regional Civic Engagement Training
February 1, 2013 – University of Southern Maine (Portland, ME)

Register here.

Workshop Description

Assessing community impact of our engaged efforts is a challenge. In this workshop, we will use our experiences with different initiatives to explore frameworks, such as Bronfenbrenner’s ecological model, and practices, such as community-based research, that promote campus attention to community impact. We will also address thechallenges and benefits for both community and university partners in doing this work. Participants will develop a plan to assess community impact that reflects the nature of their involvement with the community. (Note: For this exercise, an effort will be made to encourage participants to integrate assessment tools and data mechanisms already being utilized on their campuses when possible.)

Presenters

Georgia Nigro, Ph.D. is Professor of Psychology at Bates College. During graduate school, she worked with theConsortium for Longitudinal Studies, which carried out some of the early evaluations of preschool programs that led to widespread support for Head Start. These early lessons in bridging the domains of research, practice, and policy serve her well today. Georgia is a member of REACH (Research and Evaluation Assistance for Change) and of Imagining America’s work group on Assessing the Practices of Public Scholarship, which is focused on community impact.

Maryann Corsello, Ph.D. is an Associate Professor of Psychology at the University of New England and the founder of REACH (Research and Evaluation Assistance for Change). She has conducted evaluation studies in childhood stress, intergenerational wellness, child abuse prevention, diversion programs, and mentoring. REACH was awarded a grant from the Bingham Program to continue its innovative work in the community.