The University of New Mexico hosts Community Engagement Week 2024 from April 1 to 5, featuring numerous events celebrating collaboration, service, and the power of community. This year's Community Engagement Week is not just a series of events—it's a celebration of collaboration, service, and the power of community.
Community Engagement Week 2024 kicks off on April 1-2 with the Office of Community Engagement hosting a series of workshops aimed at exploring ways to enhance support for community-engaged scholarship in higher education.
The week continues April 3-4 when the Center for Teaching and Learning (CTL) hosts its Spring Teaching Conference. This year’s conference titled Community-Engaged Teaching & Learning, aims to create a space where instructors across UNM and community partners can learn from each other and inspire impactful and inclusive community-engaged teaching and learning.
The week wraps up on April 5 when the UNM Community Engagement Center hosts its 14th Annual Community Engagement Center Symposium reflecting on OUR-Community: Organizing for change, Unveiling voices, Re-kindling relations—in Community.
"Community engagement in higher education is a commitment to empower, enrich, and elevate society through collaborative learning and meaningful action," said Tim Castillo, director for UNM Community Engagement Initiatives and professor in the School of Architecture + Planning. "As we convene for Community Engagement Week this Spring 2024, we embark on a journey of collaboration and innovation, uniting civic and academic leaders to build bridges and forge partnerships. Together, we can catalyze change, and shape a brighter future for the state of New Mexico."
See the day-by-day details below.
Office of Community Engagement - April 1-2
Monday, April 1
Best Practices: Community Engagement at UNM, 10 - 11:30 a.m.
Panelists
- Levi Romero, associate professor, Chicano and Chicana Studies
- Lani Tsinnajinnie, associate professor, Community and Regional Planning
- Rebecca Sanchez, professor, College of Education and Human Sciences
This workshop aims to offer valuable perspectives to early-career faculty members with an interest in community engagement.
Expanding Community Engagement - Leadership Panel, 1 - 2:30 p.m.
Panelists
- Maria Lane, dean, Graduate Studies
- Donna Riley, dean, School of Engineering
- Jennifer Malat, dean, College of Arts & Sciences
This panel will delve into community engagement across diverse disciplines, engaging in discussions about successful frameworks for community partnerships.
Tuesday, April 2
Community-based Participatory Research and Community Engagement: Lessons and Participatory Examples from the UNM CBPR Summer Institute: Critical and Indigenous Methodologies, 10 - 11:30 a.m.
Panelists
- Nina Wallerstein, director, Center for Participatory Research, College of Population Health
- Shannon Sanchez-Youngman, associate director, Center for Participatory Research, College of Population Health
Attendees will learn about the CBPR summer institute from the Center for Participatory Research, College of Population Health, with a wide-ranging group of participants, from masters and doctoral level graduate students who receive Public Health credit, and which is also open to post-doctoral fellows, faculty, research staff, clinicians, public agency professionals and community and tribal members.
Navigating Community Engagement: Challenges and Opportunities, 1 - 2:30 p.m.
Panelists
- Manuel Montoya, associate professor, Department of Economics, College of A & S
- Tim Castillo, professor, Architecture; director, Office of Community Engagement
This panel is dedicated to exploring models for validating Community Engagement Scholarship within the tenure and promotion process. It will delve into how to gain a deeper understanding of how civic and community engagement enhances the quality of scholarship at the university.
See the Schedule and RSVP for the panels. Registration deadline is Friday, March 22.
Center for Teaching and Learning Spring Teaching Conference - April 3-4
The CTL conference builds on the work of Presidential Teaching Fellow, Maria Lane (interim dean of Graduate Studies and director, R.H. Center for Community Geography). The keynote address will be delivered by Nicole Webster, a leader in community-engaged teaching and learning in higher education. Webster is associate dean for Diversity, Equity, and Inclusion, and Faculty Affairs in the College of Health and Human Development at Pennsylvania State University.
The conference will be held in person on Wednesday, April 3, in the Student Union Building/SUB. On Thursday, April 4, it will switch to a virtual format via Zoom.
April 3 & 4 - 2024 Spring Teaching Conference; The deadline to register for the conference is Thursday, March 21.
14th Annual Community Engagement Center Symposium - Friday, April 5
The 14th Annual Community Engagement Center Symposium wraps up Community Engagement Week 2024. This symposium features an opening plenary session with a CEC welcome, keynote by Jason Fuller, CEC alumni, poetry from Jessica Helen Lopez, an overview of the day as well as nine different hourlong breakout sessions.
April 5 - Workshop Schedule; Register for the workshops. Registration deadline is Friday, March 22.
For more information and complete details, visit Community Engagement Week 2024.