“It was really nice to be able to have this workshop and I appreciate the work that went into it. I learned about the importance of authentic connection with community partners” said Susan Rahman after the virtual Developing and Deepening Community Partners Workshop.
This workshop was led by Faculty Fellow Emily Acosta Lewis and the CCE Community Partnerships Coordinator Caroline Bañuelos. The purpose of this workshop was for faculty and staff to have a conversation about ways they can develop and deepen their relationships with community partners and explore why it is important to have good relationships. This workshop was different than most workshops we’ve had as it was remote. Although we couldn't all physically meet together for this workshop, Zoom allowed us to stay connected and continue our service-learning education. All of the participants had the opportunity to get to know other faculty members and discuss some things that they have learned from the past as well as what has worked for them before.
community partners through the CCE.
Dr. Acosta Lewis advised faculty members to get in contact with the CCE about any ideas or visions they might have for their service-learning classes. “We all have different experiences and we have a history of what has been done before and what works so if you’re new here to SSU or new to the area the CCE is a great way to start,'' she said. “Let us know so we can help you get in contact with community partners and try to find the perfect fit for you. We are here to help you and our students be successful but we also want to help our community partners,” said Caroline. Many faculty members expressed their gratitude with the CCE and talked about their past experiences with community partners. “It was really nice to be able to have this workshop and I appreciate the work that went into it,” said Susan.
During the workshop we were given some tips when working with community partners and what has been a good way to keep good relationships with them. The presenters also talked about ways both faculty members and community partners benefit from working together. Since community partners help out our students, it is important for us to try to help them and make things easier for them. From small things like parking passes to inviting them to lunch, these are all ways you can build a better relationship with community partners. Overall this workshop was very successful as everyone learned from each other and was able to talk about their past experiences so that others can learn from it.