Student Engagement

Student Community Engagement: Combating Student Apathy From the Big Blue Bubble

Theory to practice has been a long-substantiated concept in higher education. However, due to the “inclusive resort” focus of universities, it has become more difficult to engage students within communities. Student experts discussed current dynamics associated with engagement from the academic “big blue bubble.” 2023 Engagement Scholarship Consortium, East Lansing, Michigan.

Assessing community gun violence: Generational perspectives from undeserved communities

Cultural Perspectives on Gun Violence in Lexington was a research project facilitated by the Community Innovation Lab undergraduates in collaboration with ONE Lexington and Cities United. A rise in gun violence in Lexington since 2017 has created a need for greater intervention, however, the direct opinions of the communities most marginalized by gun violence are frequently dismissed in broad practice. Researchers interviewed Lexington community members based on selected cultural and generational categories in order to provide diverse Lexingtonian perspectives, solutions, and education related to gun violence. The sample groups include inter-generational members of the black and African American, Latino and Hispanic, and LGBTQ+ communities respectively.

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IMMIGRANT PERSPECTIVES OF URBAN EXTENSION

Our Community Innovation Lab undergraduate researchers presented their insightful research focusing on immigrant perspectives of urban extension at the 2023 Association of International Agricultural and Extension Education in Guelph, Canada. Excitingly, the students’ won outstanding research poster based on their influential study! Congratulations!!

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Innovations in Community Engagement

In 2020, during a global pandemic, we established innovative university/community partnerships. Faculty and students from the CIL and Prairie View A&M University partnered with professional leaders to collaborate on pressing community topics. This learner-centered engagement provided several fruitful outputs. Click the links below to find out more.

Food technology and access in Appalachia

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In our first semester, lab students collaborated with industry leaders from AppHarvest to examine college student food access and preferences. During the second semester, students developed an innovation challenge for high school and college students to address contemporary issues.

Substance Use Disorder - lexington, ky.

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Students also worked with leadership in the Lexington Mayor’s Office to examine perspectives on Substance Use Disorder then propose an educational platform to educate others about the disorder.

Collaborative mentorship initiative funded by:

Esters. LT., Knobloch, N.A. & Young, D. (2018-2024). Developing Faculty Leadership Teams to Implement Inclusive and Intentional Mentoring at 1862 and 1890 Land Grant Institutions. United States Department of Agriculture Higher Education Grant.