University of Minnesota Competes for National Community Engagement Scholarship Award
The Association of Public and Land-grant Universities (APLU) has announced the University of Minnesota earned the W.K. Kellogg Foundation Community Engagement Scholarship Award in recognition of the extraordinary community engagement initiatives of the U of M’s Center for Urban and Regional Affairs (CURA). As the top honoree in its region of the country, the U of M will now compete for the national C. Peter Magrath Community Engagement Scholarship Award, which will be announced in November.
As part of the University’s Office of the Vice Provost For Public Engagement, CURA collaborates with local community and government agencies to advance smart and equitable decision-making, investments and policies. Supported by a mission dedicated to public engagement, CURA’s work has produced an extensive network of external partners, with the center supporting 145 projects in 50 neighborhoods and cities involving 180 students, 32 university departments and programs, and 135 community and government organizations last year alone.
“For more than 50 years, the Center for Urban and Regional Affairs has served as a nationally recognized model for University-community partnerships,” said University of Minnesota President Rebecca Cunningham. “We are proud of this prestigious recognition from the APLU and the W.K. Kellogg Foundation for their dedication to work that benefits all of Minnesota’s diverse communities.”
Since 2007, APLU and the Engagement Scholarship Consortium, with support from the W.K. Kellogg Foundation, have honored the engagement scholarship and partnerships of four-year public universities. The award recognizes programs that demonstrate how colleges and universities have redesigned their learning, discovery, and engagement missions to deepen their partnerships and achieve broader impacts in their communities.
“Congratulations to the regional winners of the Kellogg Community Engagement Scholarship Awards and exemplary projects,” said APLU President Mark Becker. “Community engagement is a critical part of public universities’ mission and we’re pleased to highlight the work of institutions that are instrumental to solving the most pressing challenges facing their communities through partnerships with other stakeholders.”
Community engagement professionals from public research universities judged this round of the award. The other finalists are East Carolina University, Oregon State University and West Virginia University. The national winner of the C. Peter Magrath Community Engagement Scholarship Award will be selected following presentations at the 2024 National Engagement Scholarship Conference. The winning institution receives a sculpture and a $20,000 prize, and the three other regional winners each receive a $5,000 prize to further their work.