Leveraging her expertise in community engagement practices and curriculum development, Dr. Ebony D. Johnson spearheaded efforts to assist academic and community partners in building authentic, equitable collaborations.

The Challenge or Opportunity

While well-intentioned, academic institutions often risk perpetuating power imbalances when engaging with communities, failing to truly prioritize community perspectives. A university community engagement center identified the need to equip researchers, educators, and students with the skills to build inclusive partnerships that empower community stakeholders as equal collaborators.

Why the Client Chose Our Services

Dr. Johnson's background seamlessly aligned with the center’s goals. As a public health sociologist with deep expertise in community engagement and curriculum design, she brought a nuanced understanding of inclusive practices and the ability to develop tailored training resources across disciplines.

How We Responded:

Dr. Johnson led the development of comprehensive curricula focused on community engagement best practices and strategies for fostering equitable collaboration. She managed an interdisciplinary team to create cohesive yet personalized learning materials tailored to various academic fields.

Donning the hat of an Engaged Learning Consultant, Dr. Johnson facilitated over 20 workshops for university classes and student groups. These interactive sessions provided participants with practical knowledge and skills to navigate power dynamics, prioritize community voices, and create lasting positive impacts through mutually beneficial partnerships.

Her approach emphasized co-learning, with participants actively contributing their perspectives and experiences, fostering a culture of shared understanding between academic and community stakeholders.

The Results

Dr. Johnson's dual contributions significantly advanced the center’s mission of promoting equitable community-academic collaboration. By designing inclusive curricula and facilitating insightful workshops, she led researchers, educators, and students to build authentic partnerships that uplift and amplify community needs and priorities.

The interdisciplinary nature of her work fostered a nuanced understanding of community engagement complexities, enabling academic initiatives to be firmly rooted in the unique contexts and realities of the communities they serve.

Through her facilitation, Dr. Johnson cultivated a community of practice centered around equitable engagement, where mutual respect, collaboration, and shared learning became the foundation for impactful, community-driven initiatives.

Call-to-Action

Elevate your institution's community engagement efforts through tailored curriculum development and facilitation. Partner with our team to gain expertise in inclusive practices, co-learning approaches, and strategies that empower community stakeholders as equal collaborators, fostering authentic and impactful academic-community partnerships.