University-Community Civic Collaboration: Reaching for Equity in Partnership Beyond the University

• In Event: Philanthropy and Community Partnerships

Abstract

The goal of this paper is to describe a university-community collaboration sponsored by a university office of civic engagement, called School’s Out. University-community partnerships are common, but many collaborations are fraught with challenges because of power inequities or differing goals and ways of operating. Since this partnership developed their work together and had a common definition of civic engagement, the partnership took on different characteristics, avoiding some of the pitfalls to which other partnerships succumb. Using narrative inquiry, this paper examines the story of how the partnership came to be, how it operated, and the resulting civic engagement project.

Author

• Jessica Shiller, Towson University