Collaboratory and Break Away enthusiastically announce a partnership to promote and encourage a more holistic approach to community-university engagement programming and services. From preparing students for thoughtful, justice-centric community engagement, to telling and progressing the institution’s collective engagement story, this partnership will enhance the entire lifecycle of engagement programming. “As two organizations focused on community engagement, it is a natural fit for Break Away to partner with Collaboratory,” said Buck Cooke, Executive Director at Break Away. “We are excited to offer our member institutions the benefit of our respective insights. By combining data with a focus on justice and liberation, we will help Collaboratory enhance their community engagement programs.”
Collaboratory and Break Away will provide a variety of professional development opportunities, supporting campuses where Break Away programming and Collaboratory assessment overlap. “Collaboratory serves a fundamental purpose to help institutions track community engagement activities on their campus,” said Dr. Lauren Wendling, Director of Institutional Success. “We are excited to work with organizations like Break Away to better support all critical phases of research, assessment, and evaluation.”
We are pleased to share an example of this partnership via a Break Away facilitated event on September 27 from 2-3:30 EST for Collaboratory member campuses: Centering Justice in Community Engagement Activities.
Further, Collaboratory will facilitate a presentation at the upcoming Break Away Staff Development Summit, highlighting joint efforts of the Break Away and Collaboratory teams at Illinois State University.
About Collaboratory:
A one-of-a-kind software that helps higher education understand the landscape of their engagement – the who, what, where, when and why of activities designed with and for their community. Collaboratory’s mission is to empower higher education institutions to document and understand the full scope of their community engagement and public service activities to improve practice.
About Break Away:
A national nonprofit organization that promotes the development of quality community engagement programs through training, assisting, and connecting campuses and communities. Break Away’s mission is to inspire and activate thoughtful community engagement through justice-based trainings and programs. Break Away envisions a society of people who prioritize just and equitable community through their values and actions.
Want to Learn More About Collaboratory?
If your institution is interested to learn more about how to leverage Collaboratory to tell your story of engagement, email info@cecollaboratory.
