AASCU Innovations Exchange
Your Source for innovation in Public Higher Education

Community Development

Center for Cancer Disparities Research California State University, Fullerton Project Description: The Center for Cancer Disparities Research is housed at the California State University Fullerton (CSUF), which is a comprehensive minority-serving institution located in Southern California. The Center for Cancer Disparities Research at CSUF was established in 2006 to address the increasing burden of health disparities, especially in cancer. Cancer is the second most common cause of death, with nearly one in four deaths caused by cancer nationwide.  Read more >>

Community Engaged Classrooms: Connecting Classrooms and Community to Support Civic Engagement Illinois State University Project Description: Illinois State University’s Community Engaged Classrooms, a joint effort of academic and student affairs supported by the American Democracy Project committee, supports campus and community partnerships by providing necessary support and connections to develop projects that meet community needs and facilitate student and faculty involvement in civic engagement. Read more >>

Developing the Capacity for Community-Driven Research To Eliminate Health Disparities San Diego State University Project Description: Since 2003, leaders of a major network of Federally Qualified Health Centers and a university-based team in Merced, CA have nurtured a community-driven research collaboration to address health and health-care disparities in one of the nation’s largest agricultural regions. The collaboration originated from discussions on how to assess organizational performance for Culturally and Linguistically Appropriate Services (CLAS) and has evolved to internally- and externally-funded research projects to improve language access and chronic care. Throughout, the community organization and university partner collaborated to develop new competencies and resources, including staff and funding.   Read more >>

Disaster Preparedness for Vulnerable Populations San Fransisco State University Project Description: Disaster Preparedness for Vulnerable Populations (DPVP) was a multi-year action–research partnership that combined a service learning outreach program with a pre-post telephone survey of a vulnerable population, seniors in San Francisco who are recipients of home care from In-Home Supportive Services (IHSS), to better prepare them for the inevitability of an earthquake. The key partner in the program was the San Francisco IHSS Public Authority, which assigns home care providers toeligible individuals. The Public Authority funded the evaluation of the project to complement the outreach which was supported by the Bay Area Super Urban Area Security Initiative (SUASI). Read more >>

Greene County Community Strategic Plan University of West Alabama Project Description: The University of West Alabama (UWA) has provided Greene County, Alabama with a resource team to evaluate the county’s assets and liabilities and to develop a plan to help improve the social and economic conditions of the county. Read more >>

Re-focusing a University on Regional Stewardship and Engagement Western Carolina University Project Description: Through a commitment to region and community, WCU has re-focused the curriculum around integrated experiential learning; adopting a faculty reward system focused on the Boyer Model; and developing a campus master plan that integrates education, business, governmental agencies, residences, and NGO's within the context of an educational environment. The theoretical model for this development is AASCU's "Stewards of Place." Read more >>

Service Sunday: Serve Where You Are Northeastern State University Project Description: Service Sundays are designed to be short projects which can be completed in an afternoon setting.  The Cherokee Nation is a major partner in this endeavor as they provide millions of dollars in scholarships with a self-help component.  Sequoyah Schools is a local school system affiliated with the Cherokee Nation and has also become a partner.  A group of individuals representing all partners determine projects for the semester with the primary aim being to return services to our native community.  The Cherokee Nation assists with materials and NSU and Sequoyah assist in providing drinks and snacks. Read more >>

Students Bringing Sustainable Change through the $100 Solution Program Western Kentucky University (WKU) Project Description:  The $100 Solution™ has entered the psyche of students, faculty, and communities across the globe.  Using this service-learning model, students are partnering with communities, asking the question, “With one hundred dollars, how can we enhance the quality of your life?” Armed with the five core principles of partnership, reciprocity, capacity building, sustainability, and reflection, students are learning to erase superiority and work alongside community partners to improve neighborhoods. As world headquarters of The $100 Solution™, the ICSR is home to service-learning courses mirroring this model. WKU students are active in creating positive change in the Bowling Green community.  Read more >>

The Bracero Oral History Project California State University, Channel Islands Project Description: In 2008, California State University, Channel Islands (CSUCI) joined the Smithsonian Institution’s National Museum of American History to document the history of Braceros. The Bracero History Project collected over 700 interviews and dozens of photographs, documents and artifacts that tell the story of the largest guest-worker program in U.S. history. CSUCI offered service-learning courses to students in Chicano/a Studies, Spanish and Art to produce a local exhibition “The Braceros of Ventura County” to complement the national exhibition. Students, including descendants of Braceros, documented the lives of ex-Braceros, scanned photos and documents, organized town-hall meetings, and conducted exhibition tours.    Read more >>

WKU’s Hill House Fosters Civic Renewal in Local Neighborhood Western Kentucky University Project Description: WKU’s Hill House provides graduate students with experiential learning opportunities to conduct applied/community-based research in various disciplines while living in the neighborhood. Through vital community partnerships, students learn the practical value of their academic training in becoming citizen professionals strengthening communities locally and beyond. Hill House students host weekly Sunday evening potluck dinners for the community, providing the neighborhood with free space to gather, discussing contemporary topics, watching documentaries, and sharing meals. The students have partnered with community leaders, neighbors, the Bowling Green Neighborhood Action offices, classmates, and professors to organize involvement in their neighborhood and the larger community.  Read more >>

Youth Impact Partnership Project (YIPP) Weber State University Project Description: The Youth Impact Partnership Project (YIPP) is a collaborative community-based learning project between the Youth Impact program, a youth development program located in inner-city Ogden, UT, and multiple Weber State University (WSU) entities - faculty members and students from various academic programs, the Education Access and Outreach office, and the Community Involvement Center.  This reciprocal partnership has a positive impact on inner-city youth attending the Youth Impact program and Weber State University students.  There are four central elements to YIPP: a) WSU students serving as mentors/tutors; b) WSU students teaching social skills classes; c) WSU students developing and facilitating clubs and activities; and d) WSU students conducting program evaluation research with and for the program to inform program changes.  Read more >>

SEARCH FOR INNOVATIONS

FEATURED INNOVATIONS

SUBMIT AN INNOVATION

CATEGORIES