Outcomes
Impacting Today, Innovating Tomorrow
The Voinovich School of Leadership and Public Service is a catalyst for regional, state and national collective impact in a broad range of public service areas in health and wellness, education and the environment, and entrepreneurship and economic development. The School is a leader in addressing rural and state issues of national importance and was the first multidisciplinary School ever created by the University, with an external focus on the state and region. No other public affairs school in the United States combines business technology and commercialization with research and education related to public service, health and wellness, education, and the environment.
The following are just a few of our outstanding metrics, a result of the Voinovich School’s 140+ programmatic partnerships working to achieve the strategic outcomes of economic growth and opportunity, social impact and sustainability, and leadership and community building.
“The Voinovich School is a treasure. It is a best-in-class example of engaged scholarship – taking knowledge from research in multiple disciplines and applying it to address the most pressing challenges facing communities in Ohio. Better than any public affairs program in the country, the Voinovich School works across all sectors – government, corporate, and nonprofit – and involves students with faculty in making a real, practical difference in the world.”
Mike Smith
Dean, School of Government at the University of North Carolina
The largest university-based local government training, advisory, and research organization in the United States, serving more than 12,000 public officials each year.
64TH
TOP PUBLIC
AFFAIRS SCHOOL
U.S. NEWS AND WORLD REPORT BEST
PUBLIC AFFAIRS SCHOOLS
39TH
MOST INNOVATIVE
PUBLIC SERVICE SCHOOL
IN THE U.S. BEST VALUE SCHOOLS
MORE THAN
$15M in 167
EXTERNALLY FUNDED PROJECTS
THROUGH GRANT FUNDING AND
STATE APPROPRIATIONS
Entrepreneurship & Economic Development
Since 2015, Voinovich School programmatic partnerships in this area have:
- Contributed nearly $3.6 billion in economic activity for the region and state
- Served over 7,000 clients
- Helped create and retain more than 5,000 jobs
Health & Wellness
Ohio – and especially rural Ohio – faces formidable challenges when it comes to health and wellness. Helping to alleviate Ohio’s myriad health and wellness issues has long been a priority for the Voinovich School.
- More than $12.5 million in state and federal funding awarded since 2008 to Programmatic Partnership for Community-Based Prevention for substance abuse prevention and mental-health promotion.
- Since 2015, the Programmatic Partnership for Children and Families has raised over $4.8 million in external funding for 66 projects.
Energy & the Environment
For more than two decades, our energy and environmental team has worked with faculty and staff from across the University and with dozens of local, state and federal agencies to improve our energy, water, air and land systems.
- Since fiscal year 2010, the Voinovich School has been awarded more than $16M in external funding for project work in this area.
- 200+ miles of stream cleaned from acid-mine drainage resulting in 40 new jobs and a $2M in annual labor impact.
Education
Educational research, evaluation and program implementation at the Voinovich School underscores the institution’s deep involvement in, and impact on, K-12 education improvement statewide.
- Support of the Ohio Appalachian Collaborative has led to expanded educational opportunities for 34,000 K-12 students in 21 rural school districts.
Social Innovation & Public Service
Voinovich School has an extensive history of helping state, county and local governments, as well as nonprofit organizations, by providing innovative applied research and technical assistance, and by building leadership and organizational capacity.
- Social Enterprise Ecosystem Partnership has garnered $1.05M in investment from the ARC since 2017 to provide no-cost consulting and capital access assistance for social enterprises, which combine a social mission with revenue from sale of goods or services.
- SEE has assisted more than 100 startups and small enterprises that address the most important social challenges facing Appalachia. Program participants have already created over 75 jobs and achieved more than $18.7 million in resources.
