Just getting started in community engagement? Then perhaps you’ve already encountered some confusing terms and phrases. It is common for specialists to invent language that suits their needs, but jargon can create barriers for those looking to participate. We don’t want anything get in your way—the point of community engagement is to get everybody involved! In this article, we will attempt to help by explaining the top 5 terms that you will hear in community engagement.

Community-Based Research

As the name suggests, community-based research (CBR) takes place in the community, but CBR is much more than just getting out of the office. The difference here is that researchers and community groups act as equal partners and work collaboratively to study community issues. Research that has roots in the community has a much better chance of helping those who need it most.

Often, CBR use participatory research or action research methodologies to guide their approach to working with the community. Participatory research emphasizes collaboration with the people or organizations being studied in order to get a deeper understanding of the issues they face; while the aim of action research is to foster positive change in the community by taking action and then studying their effect.

Community Service-Learning

They say that the best way to learn is by doing. This is the idea behind community service-learning, a form of education in which students learn through the act of community service. Many university and college courses integrate community service into their learning objectives. Students could find themselves working on one-time research projects or enjoying ongoing volunteer work. The best part? Everyone benefits: students get to practice skills in “the real world� and community partners get the help they need while being exposed to fresh perspectives. Most importantly, CSL forges relationships that enhance community-campus engagement in the long term.

Knowledge Mobilization

Knowledge mobilization (KMb) is sharing academic research in order to create an impact. To make knowledge work for the community, academia must reach out through multiple media—simply publishing in academic journals is not enough! It is better to use social media, blogs, newspapers and other platforms that are accessible to the community and more widely used. Knowledge mobilization also requires researchers to seek out and listen to community perspectives before beginning their project.

Knowledge brokers that specialize in connecting with knowledge users can be a great help in making sure research makes the most impact.

Community Impact

The point of community engagement is to have an impact! Community impact, then, are the outcomes of community initiatives. There are many ways being engaged in the community can make a measurable difference, such as influencing policy, increasing awareness or improving people’s lives. Success often hinges on understanding and answering the needs of community!

Community-First

Being community-first is what CFICE is all about! Community-first is a way of thinking and a way of working with community partners that respects their experience. When you are community-first, you work as an equal partner, listen to community needs and work together to tackle issues.

Did you notice that being community-first is the common thread in the terms we discussed? Community-first thinking can help you in all of your community engagement activities and ensures that you make an impact.

Are there any other community engagement terms that you find confusing? Why not check out our Glossary that expands upon the list of terms in this article. Or leave a message in the comments below to request a definition.

Have an idea for a community-campus partnership but don’t know where to start to make it happen? Then this post is for you! In CFICE’s 7-step guide, you will be directed to resources that will equip you with the tools to develop meaningful community-campus engagement (CCE) partnerships, and help you make a positive changes in your community.

Step 1: Ask the hard questions

Conduct a needs and resource assessmentÌı

The March of Dimes Foundation’s step-by-step guide asks the question, “Are we ready for community-based participatory research?â€� Their extensive manual provides ‘Readiness Assessments,’ great definitions, and case studies.

• The March of Dimes Foundation, “.â€�

You can also check out this simple worksheet which can help your community-based organization (CBO) brainstorm how resources can result in future partnerships.

• Hands On Network’s ““

Step 2: Consider the Context

Be practical

Beacons for Public Engagement’s, “Guide to Working with Universities on Research Projects,� lays out practical things to consider in a succinct brochure with links to other useful toolkits.

• Beacons for Public Engagement, “.â€�

Step 3: Make the Connections

Reach out to universities

This short informative guide by the UK Community Partner Network includes practical suggestions and recommendations for how get your organization involved with universities.

• UK Community Partner Network, ““

In addition to the guide above, here are twelve tips for how to make contact with potential university partners.

• UK Community Partner Network, ““

Ready to set the project course together?

Step 4: Set a Direction

Plan your CCE Research Project

This easy-to-use guide by ULCA offers great examples of community-campus engagement (CCE) research, and a glossary of terms to help you effectively plan your CCE research project. It also provides links to additional resources to assist your CBO in defining a specific research problem.

• UCLA, “.â€�

Shasta College has put together a great manual with practical tips on what to expect when working on a CCE research project. This guide also describes how to design a service-learning experience, includes checklists for orientation between students and CBOs, and great examples of Risk and Liability release forms.

• Shasta College, ““

The Pace Society’s guide on research ethics will help ensure that everyone involved in your CCE research project is treated ethically. It includes a guide to ethics in community-campus partnerships, and provides links to additional resources.

• Pace Society in collaboration with The Research Development Team, “.â€�

Step 5: Build your Relationships

Cultivate meaningful partnerships ÌıÌı

In this resource, you will learn how to forge strong community-campus partnerships by strategically planning for both the day-to-day and future management of your community-campus engagement (CCE) research project. This guide also includes information on how to cultivate leadership and introduces practical ways to effectively communicate between research teams.

• America’s Promise, The Alliance for Youth: “.â€�

This short document defines what it means to have a meaningful research partnership. It explains what an equitable relationships between post-secondary institutions and community-based organizations looks like.

• Portland State University, “.”

Step 6: Evaluate the Project

Make sure your work is making an impact

You’ve done the work, now it is time to evaluate. Here is a comprehensive step-by-step guide for evaluating the effectiveness of your community-campus engagement (CCE) research partnership.

• Community Tool Box, ““

Step 7: Go above and beyond

Maintain Quality Assurance

Now that you have successfully created a community-campus engagement (CCE) partnership what do you do? Check out this link for tips on how to maintain quality performance, so your project stands the test of time.

• Community Tool Box, ““

What other resources do you use for setting up and maintaining your CCE partnerships? Let us know in the comments!

Abigail Moriah has been a member of CFICE’s Steering Committee since 2015 and was appointed as the committee’s Community Co-chairÌıat the end of 2016.

Moriah was introduced to CFICE while attending a forum in Brazil where she connected with fellow CFICE members. The forum aligned with Moriah’s interests in teaching academic institutions how to support the work of community building and non-profit organizations: “Personally, I value the engagement between academic institutions and the research of a collaborative community. It exposes me to the ways that post-secondary institutions implement policy and improve practice with non-profit organizations and the community.�

Moriah has actively volunteered throughout her life in the public, non-profit, and community-based sectors. Her expertise in urban and community planning has enabled her to better putÌıresearch into practice for CFICE.

Her role on the CFICE Steering Committee has been to help oversee the project and provide strategies and guidance for the overall operation. She believes that research plays a critical role in improving practice, regardless of the sector. As a practitioner herself, Moriah sees CFICE as a venue where she can ask her burning questions about community-campus engagement work, like, “Why can’t it be shaped differently?� “Are there ways to have different priorities?� “Do we dedicate more resources or broaden the scope?� The answers to these questions have ultimately helped her understand the implications of community-based research. “It highlights both the benefits and the challenges of institutions and their ability to shape the scope of projects.�

Recently, Moriah and the Academic Co-Chair of the Steering Committee, Karen Schwartz, created and administered a survey for the Steering Committee to better understand and engage members with the project. “I am hoping that this recent development will strengthen the steering committee’s engagement with its role and ensure success for the project.â€�

Moriah’s visions for CFICE’s future include the opportunity to shape the conversation around community-campus partnerships and how they benefit the community. She states that CFICE is, “Well positioned to provide evidence and practical guidance to how this work is done in Canada.� Moriah acknowledges the gaps in society and wishes to create and develop an inclusive community. She essentially sees the potential in projects like CFICE and collaborations between academic institutions and the community to address and resolve such societal gaps through theory and practice.

“I hope to be able to contribute better to practices that strengthen the involvement of the minorities and racialized communities in community planning. There is still lots of room for improvement in terms of urban planning and community planning to include and involve populations that are traditionally not involved in conversations that shape cities and communities.�

Today, for Canada’s 149^th birthday, we celebrate all the things that make us proud to be Canadian.

We do that in different ways – from sporting the maple leaf, to eating a Beavertail, watching fireworks or sharing a story around a campfire. Together, we unite for one day of continuous pride for the country we all call home.

But of course, despite the pride, we all have an idea for how CanadaÌıcould be even better: Roughly 35 million Canadians meansÌıroughly 35 million visions for the country.

That’s a lot of visions.

How can people share their story on what they want their Canada to look like?

Leanne Clare is the founder and lead storyteller at the Campfire Project.

How do we collect those visions and see what people really care about?

Leanne Clare has the answer.

Clare created the , a platform where Canadians can share their stories about their vision for Canada and actually be heard.

“I really like the idea of storytelling to really get at what people value,� Clare says.

“As a former journalist, I know that stories contain what people really care about, what they value and they also have the ability to inspire other people.”

Clare says the idea came to her in the shower four years ago when there was a lot of frustration among Canadians because there was no vision for the country coming from Parliament Hill.

Clare recalls her eureka moment.

“I thought: We don’t need a bunch of politicians to tell us what the country could be. We could crowd source this by using stories to try and figure out what people want for the future of the country, and we could create a big, national vision out of that.�

Clare left her job at the David Suzuki Foundation to pursue Philanthropy and Nonprofit Leadership at ĞÓ°ÉÔ­´´ University. She joined the ĞÓ°ÉÔ­´´ Centre for Community Innovation where she is currently working on the Campfire Project as a Research Associate.

The project will use Canada’s milestone 150^th birthday to frame communication and encourage Canadians to share their vision.

Clare is hoping the platform, called Campfire 150, will spark deeper civic engagement across the country, turning the online action into offline action.

“I want us to be able to learn from those digital stories and figure out how to actually translate that into meaningful engagement.�

Clare sees the project as a true collective impact project and wants to engage as many partners and perspectives as possible.

Campfire at Crotch Lake in Algonquin Park
© Leanne Clare

“I want to gather people around the modern campfire, a digital campfire known as the Internet,� she says.

“It’s an idealistic project in some way, but it is really trying to fight against the negativity that is online and show that it can be used positively and that people are hearing each other.�

Clare says the Campfire platform will haveÌıthe ability to be translated to other organizational contexts to ask “what should we do about X?â€� and get answers from the community about what people really think and want.

Clare plans to build and launch the platform by the end of the year to gain momentum before Canada’s 150^th birthday. At that time, she will start to collect stories for the national vision and will release Canada’s collective thoughts in the fall of 2017.

Clare hopes to have community dialogue around the visions that could lead to a new road map for change in Canada.

“It’s the beginning of something,� Clare says.

“I don’t really know where it’s going to go, but I’m excited about where it might take me.â€�

ĞÓ°ÉÔ­´´â€™s 4th Annual Community Engagement Event celebrates the diverse connections that exist between ĞÓ°ÉÔ­´´ researchers, students and community organizations in Ottawa and beyond. The event will feature a series of networking sessions hosted by ĞÓ°ÉÔ­´´ faculty and community members to learn about partnership-based research projects, course-based projects, and opportunities for new connections. The morning includes a panel discussion entitled “Community Culture Shock” on the power, joys and tribulations of Community-Campus Partnerships featuring Marc-Andre Clement of “Culture Shock Canadaâ€� and students from CCDP3003 (Communication Skills for Multimedia Design Students). Several award-winning students will also present on their community engagement projects. The full list of ĞÓ°ÉÔ­´´ and Community presenters will be shared by February 1 .

This event is free and open to all. It is sponsored by ĞÓ°ÉÔ­´´â€™s Committee on Community Engaged Pedagogy, the Office of the Provost, the Faculty of Public Affairs, the Discovery Centre, and the Community First: Impacts of Community Engagement (CFICE) research project.

Knowledge mobilizationÌıhelps us do research that is useful and used. But the field itself is fraught with a dizzying array of terminology and concepts, leaving researchers and their community partners unsure about what knowledge mobilizationÌımeans in their situation.

As a result, developing a knowledge mobilizationÌıstrategy takes thoughtful planning. And CFICE is happyÌıto help!

Check out the link below for more information:

To download the infographic, click here:

The webinar entitled ‘Engineering Justice: Transforming Engineering Education and Practice‘, presented by Jon Leydens and Juan Lucena from the Colorado School of Mines, took place on Wednesday, May 20th – and may be available for viewing at ! At this same site, you may also find another webinar of interest: Ìı‘Dean’s Panel on Scholarship in Engineering Service Learning and Humanitarian Engineering’ –Ìıfeaturing Dean Amr Elnashai (Penn State), Dean Leah Jamieson (Purdue), and Dean Stephen Silliman (Gonzaga).The ASEE Community Engagement Division’s Film Festival voting concludes at midnight, Saturday, May 30th. ÌıYou are urged to visit the website and vote for your favorite videos (). ÌıThe top five vote getters will be named finalists. ÌıIn addition, a panel of ASEE CED committee members will also select five finalists. ÌıThese ten finalists will be announced on May 31st and will then compete for the a) Best Video Award ($1000) and the b) Community Impact Award ($1000). ÌıWinners will be announced at the ASEE CED annual business meeting on Monday, June 15th.

What: Skill building workshop led by Liz Weaver, Tamarack Foundation
When: May 26, 2015 9AM to 5PM
Where: C2U Expo Pre-conference , Algonquin College
CACSL and Volunteer Canada Members: $75
Non-members: $180 (Usual price $199)
To register:

Led by Tamarack’s, Liz Weaver this hands on workshop will lead participants through building their knowledge of collective impact, assessing, where and if it fits with their community work, and providing take away tools for moving forward. It is targeted to community leaders, volunteer centres, and community engaged scholars.

This interactive full day workshop will provide participants with an overview of Collective Impact and a variety of practical tools to move from theory to implementation. The workshop will also focus on the engagement of a variety of unique and often overlooked partners in collective impact efforts: volunteer centres, the business community and campus leadership. The participants will identify and discuss the unique contributions that each of these partners can make to advancing a collective community change effort.

Cost : $75/person for members of CACSL or Volunteer Canada; $180/person for all others. Contact CACSL or Volunteer Canada to purchase your membership.
For more information, please contact Geri Briggs at Geri.Briggs@Carleton.ca or pspeevak@volunteer.ca

C²UExpo 2015 – May 26^th to May 29^th 2015

Citizen-Driven Policy: Strengthening Community Engagement for a Better World.

First and foremost, the C²U Expo 2015 conference provides the opportunity for participants to be inspired and energized by the successes of community-campus partnerships, community based research, and community service-learning. Furthermore, the conference provides a means for participants to build connections and share ideas through meaningful dialogue, work in solidarity to build on the cumulative legacy of the Expo’s networks, partnerships, and projects throughout Canada and the world.

The C²U Expo 2015 conference aims to build momentum for policy solutions that help civil society organizations navigate the current environment, and more effectively assert their interests through policy development and engagement; and Strengthen the growing national movement to deepen community-campus engagement as universities and colleges seek to enhance their potential to contribute to the development of Canada and the public good.

CACSL members will enjoy a 15% discount on the regular conference rate ($65.25 to $72.75 reduction).

Preconference Workshops

A number of pre-conference workshops and webinars will be offered prior to the conference in May.

The pre-conference workshops will be organized and facilitated by the Community-Campus Partnerships for Health, Canadian Alliance for Community Service-Learning and Volunteer Canada, Institute for Community Engaged Scholarship, and Community-Based Research Canada. Confirmed workshops are:

• Collective Impact Pre-Conference Event.
• Understanding and Advancing Impact, Policy and Funding for CBR and CCE.
• Engaged Practice Learning Exchange Workshop.
• Collective Impact and Community Engagement: From Idea to Action.
• How to Build a Research Shop.
• Translating Practice to Policy in Community-Campus Partnerships.

CACSL members will enjoy a $105 reduction in the Collective Impact pre-conference event.

ÌıThe pre-conference webinars will be hosted by the University of Saskatchewan and Memorial University. Confirmed workshops are:

• Station 20 West – Community Enterprise Centre.

Please use the following flyer to distribute widely:Ìı

Information on CACSL membership:Ìıhttp://communityservicelearning.ca/about/membership/

Please follow the link for more information about abstract submission and share widely.