BACKGROUND

In July 2017, members of the Community Innovation Lab at the University of Kentucky, in collaboration with colleagues from the UC Davis Center for Regional Change, University of Detroit Mercy, and Western Illinois University received a three-year, USDA/NIFA Higher Education Challenge Grant. The grant's purpose was to explore the current status of Community Development Education within post-secondary institutions across the United States. Three of the primary grant objectives included:

• Conduct a national study examining the status of graduate and undergraduate Community Development Education to assemble and compare student demographics, program epistemologies, philosophies, programmatic structure, and educational practices.

• Develop a network of community development educators by convening a national symposium focused on innovative curricula, educational practices, student development, and professional development needs.

• Build institutional capacity to support Community Development Education by creating a virtual community of practice to share educational research, practices, resources, and community engagement techniques.

Important information and grant progress is highlighted on our website with links to events and updates provided below. To learn more about our grant, please follow the link below: