Engage OHIO: Community & Place-based Engagement Symposium

Partnering Through Culture: Connecting Campus and Community
Dr. Sarah Spinner, Director, Kent State University Museum; Craig Berger, Associate Director for Civic & Community Engagement; Dr. Sonia Karkare, Program Coordinator for Civic & Community Engagement, Kent State University

This session explores how university museums and other campus cultural institutions can serve as convening spaces that connect students, faculty, staff, and community members through shared cultural experiences. Drawing on Kent State University Museum collaborations including “Breaking Fashion Barriers” and “Music at the Museum,” presenters will examine how cultural assets can support experiential learning, civic dialogue, and community connection. Participants will leave with practical ideas for developing reciprocal partnerships, expanding the reach of existing programs, and leveraging campus cultural resources for broader public impact.

Developing the Next Generation of Nonprofit Board Leaders
Shannan Tschopp, Director, Nonprofits LEAD, Courtney Lefebvre, Center for Community Impact, Ohio University

This session will explore the Nonprofits LEAD NextGen program at Marietta College, and replication at Ohio University. NextGen is a credit-bearing, two-semester course that places students directly on nonprofit boards to develop the next generation of nonprofit leaders. Participants will learn how the program is structured, from student application and interviews through course design and community partnerships. The first semester introduces students to nonprofit governance, board service, organizational assessment, and the ways their skills and perspectives can contribute to nonprofit organizations. In the second semester, students apply their learning through grant writing, developing proposals and competing for real funding on behalf of their partner organizations. The program culminates in a collaborative funding initiative through which local partners support a $5,000 capacity-building grant for one participating nonprofit. The session will offer a practical model for connecting academic coursework, authentic community participation, and nonprofit capacity building.

Mapping and Managing Community Food Supports: Southeast Ohio Foodbank–OHIO Geography Partnership for Foodbank Maps
Alicia Miklos and Jeremiah Phillips, HAPCAP; Katie Callahan and Yeong Kim, Ohio University Department of Geography; Ana Mojica-Myers, Visual Communication; Gracie Vaughn, Geography

This session will explore a collaborative partnership between the Southeast Ohio Foodbank and Ohio University focused on developing interactive, web-based maps of community food assistance sites and donation centers across Southeast Ohio. Presenters will demonstrate how the maps can help foodbank staff and volunteers understand site capacity and inventory while strengthening regional food resilience. The session will also highlight the student learning and professional skills embedded in the project, including GIS and geospatial tools, visual communication, community-based research, and applied problem-solving. Presenters will discuss the partnership’s development, challenges and setbacks, and lessons learned about sustaining and updating community data over time, as well as future opportunities for developing a customized tool to better meet community needs.

Community Partnerships in Practice: Learning with and from Local Schools
Dr. Catherine Cutcher, Ohio University; Dr. Teri Peasley, Ohio University Zanesville; Nayomi Gunasekara Field, Ohio University; Dr. Jen Lisy, Ohio University Zanesville; Mrs. Stephanie Hilliard, Zane Grey Elementary School

This session brings together two examples of school-community partnerships that position local communities as active partners and co-educators. Presenters will explore the Global Education Fair, a collaboration connecting Ohio University students, teacher candidates, international students, P-12 schools, and community organizations, alongside a redesigned teacher preparation course in which candidates worked directly with first-grade students in a local school. The session will highlight co-creation, experiential learning, reciprocal partnership development, and practical approaches for connecting academic learning with authentic community needs.

Place-Based Experiential Learning: Faculty Models in Practice
Michelle O’Malley, Director, Office of Experiential Learning, Ohio University, Faculty cohort participants

Faculty from across Ohio University and the MAC will share models for integrating place-based and experiential learning into their teaching, drawing on their participation in the Place-based, Community-engaged Teaching Certification in the Grand Tetons this summer. In an unconference-style format, faculty presenters will be stationed at individual tables representing different approaches to place-based learning. Participants will rotate among conversations, ask questions, and explore the strategies, structures, and lessons learned behind each model. The session offers an opportunity to move beyond a single model of place-based pedagogy and consider how experiential learning can be adapted across disciplines, courses, and community contexts.

Measuring Community Impact Through the UN Sustainable Development Goals
Faith Knutsen, Ohio University

How do any of our lives, and our mission-drive work, relate to the decade-old UN Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs)?  Globally, we’re falling woefully behind on SDG targets.  Does that matter to us?  Why?  Join a conversation about the university and mission-driven enterprise community can move beyond knowing they’re doing good, toward intentionally documenting it to communicate impact using internationally recognized tools. This session will introduce SDGs as a shared framework for understanding, measuring, and communicating impact. Faith Knutsen, a UN-credentialed trainer in the SDG Impact Standards, will provide a practical overview, including strategies for connecting existing programs, activities, and data to broader community and organizational outcomes. Participants will engage interactively and leave with a stronger understanding of this common global language and practical structure for evaluating, communicating, and advancing our collective impact.

• Noon to 12:30 p.m. Lunch
• 12:30 to 1 p.m. Center for Community Impact / Ohio University Updates
• 1 to 1:30 p.m. Sugar Bush Remarks

OU Inn: Influence & Impact: Social Media Content Creation with Intention for Community Organizations
Viktoria Marinova, Assistant Professor of Instruction and Director, Social Media Certificate Program, School of Media Arts and Studies, Ohio University

This interactive workshop will provide community organizations, nonprofits, and social enterprises with practical tools for creating intentional, mission-driven social media content. Participants will explore key elements of an effective social media strategy, including brand development, audience identification, content planning, visual consistency, storytelling, and analytics. Drawing on examples from community-based projects and social media partnerships, the workshop will demonstrate accessible approaches to developing brand boards, creating content with tools such as Canva, and using social media insights to inform decision-making. Through discussion and hands-on activities, participants will evaluate examples of nonprofit and community-focused content, identify characteristics of effective digital storytelling, and develop content ideas relevant to their own organizations or initiatives. Emphasis will be placed on authentic, community-centered storytelling that highlights local impact while remaining manageable for organizations with limited time and resources.

TBD: From Conversation to Capacity: Community Engagement Strategies That Actually Build Momentum
Dr. Daniel Hoppe, Jr., President, Hop2it Consulting; Dani Esperanza, Athens County Foundation

This interactive session explores practical strategies for nonprofit and public-sector leaders to move from stakeholder conversation to meaningful action while building organizational capacity, strengthening partnerships, and creating shared ownership. Drawing on experience facilitating strategic planning, leadership development, and organizational engagement initiatives, Dr. Hoppe will introduce approaches for using surveys, facilitated conversations, brainstorming frameworks, and partnership-driven planning to build alignment, trust, and long-term sustainability. Participants will also explore strategies for navigating community partnerships, engaging volunteers and stakeholders, and leveraging collaborative relationships to create measurable momentum. The Athens County Foundation will also explore their local Co-Create Initiative, offering a practical model for community-engaged community development.

The session will provide practical facilitation tools that participants can apply within their own organizations and partnerships to strengthen engagement, organizational resilience, and community-centered growth.

Jackie O’s Taproom: Brewing a Partnership: Co-Led Learning with Jackie O’s

Art Oestrike, Jackie O’s Brewery & Michael Held, Ohio University

What happens when a university course is co-led by faculty and a local business partner—and students learn by engaging directly with a thriving community industry? This session will explore the partnership between Ohio University and Jackie O’s Brewery through the co-led curriculum developed by Art Oestrike and Michael Held. The presenters will share how their collaboration brings together academic expertise, industry knowledge, and hands-on learning, creating an authentic place-based experience for students while building value for the community partner. Participants will also have the opportunity to tour the Jackie O’s facility and see firsthand the place, people, and processes that serve as an extension of the classroom. The session will invite participants to consider what makes university-community curricular partnerships sustainable, reciprocal, and meaningful—and how similar models might be adapted across disciplines and communities.

Jackie O’s Taproom— Casual networking and Experiential Learning Fair