Working with community partners

Workshops explored a range of topics at the Engage 2009 conference. These are some of the outcomes on the workshop about working with community partners.

CPE should/could/must...

• Connect with students
• Don't forget online communities
• Work needs to be inclusive: "community work" is not "charity work"
• Facilitate funding for outreach work
• Explore methods for gathering ideas and views from the public - maybe?
• Do some world cafés on different topics
• Get a community voice at Engage 2010
• Send CPE representatives to community meetings
• Use new tools: arts, technology etc.
• Encourage bottom-up

We can/should/will...

• See ourselves as part of a community
• Help the CPE connect with students
• Attend the world cafés (if relevant)
• Receive, read and respond to the CPE when they send thoughts about communities

What words or phrases describe relationships between the University and the community?

• Lack of interest in each other?
• Closed; no direct contact points? Random connections
• Top-down? Funding to higher education institution instead of community?
• Inflexible and static?
• Inaccessible?
• But public engagement is a massive opportunity for change