19 Aug 2016 UCA hosts service-learning summit

Leaders from regional nonprofit organizations recently met at the University of Central Arkansas for the annual Service-Learning Community Partner Summit.

The summit is a partnership between the UCA Division of Outreach and Community Engagement (OCE) and the United Way of Central Arkansas.

“We’ve been partnering with UCA for several years now on this Community Partner Summit, and it has truly helped United Way’s partner agencies become more knowledgeable about how to strengthen their respective organizations,” said Maret Cahill, executive director for United Way of Central Arkansas.

Participants interacted in workshops to generate and move forward on shared goals and priorities.

“This annual meeting is a way for us to engage local nonprofit organizations in service-learning at UCA while also providing them with professional development opportunities,” said Dr. Lesley Graybeal, service-learning and volunteerism coordinator.

UCA’s service-learning program provides students with opportunities to engage and impact the community by working with local nonprofit agencies. Service-learning arms students with the knowledge and critical thinking skills necessary to address issues and practically solve real-world problems in the community.

“Events like these allow UCA to forge strong alliances with the nonprofit community, which in turn provides more opportunities for our students to serve the community while enrolled in academic classes,” said Shelley Mehl, associate vice president of OCE. “It’s a win-win for everybody.”

To further develop partnerships with local nonprofit agencies, OCE will host a series of nonprofit workshops beginning in October. All workshops will take place at UCA Downtown and are free to nonprofit professionals. For more information, contact Graybeal at [email protected] or visit uca.edu/outreach/nonprofits.