What is community engagement?

Community Engagement describes mutually beneficial, collaborative partnerships between the university and the community beyond academia that contribute to the public good. 

• Community includes our local neighbors in College Park and Prince George’s County, the state of Maryland, as well as national and global efforts. Our partners include nonprofit organizations, schools, government agencies of all levels, and for-profit organizations. Any effort to contribute to the public good is ripe for a partnership. 
• Engagement emphasizes our value for reciprocity and collaboration among partners as we work together for positive social impact. The engagement approach differentiates this work from community service and public scholarship, which have positive aims for the community, but do not necessarily involve the community in planning, decision-making, or implementation. 

Community engagement advances the public good by: 

• Addressing social inequities and complex public challenges
• Strengthening democracy through inclusive civic participation
• Generating shared benefits for all stakeholders by building organizational capacity, enhancing student learning, enriching faculty scholarship, and creating knowledge to inform solutions and policies