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Center for Community Engagement
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CommUNITY Partner Program

CommUNITY Parter Program

By joining the CommUNITY Partner program through WVU Center for Community Engagement, organizations gain access to a variety of resources and opportunities to connect with students, network, attend professional development, and much more!

The Community Partner program (CPP) pledges to create an inclusive network of community leaders that utilize innovative collaboration through reciprocal, mutually beneficial relationships to meet community needs, both locally and globally. The CPP commits to supporting community leaders’ engagement and supports partnerships through employing University and community resources to realize WVU’s land grant mission of advancing education, healthcare, and prosperity for all.

What are the benefits of BECOMING a community partner? 

By collaborating with the Center, partners gain access to a wealth of resources, expertise, and support to enhance their community initiatives. This partnership fosters meaningful connections between academia and local communities, promoting a shared goal of positive change. 

One key benefit is access to university resources such as research assistance, student volunteers, and specialized knowledge from faculty experts. These resources can significantly amplify the impact of community projects and initiatives, leading to more effective outcomes and sustainable solutions.

Learn more about how community engagement opportunities can enhance your mission & programs. Reach out to Whitney Glotfelty, the CommUNITY Partner Coordinator, to learn more about how your organization can benefit from our program and resources. 

iServe is WVU's volunteer recruitment and management system. Through this premier volunteer software, participating organizations can post volunteer needs and track progress. 

Looking for additional assistance with iServe? Reach out to iserve@mail.wvu.edu to schedule a volunteer software training. 

Meet, share, and collaborate with other community partners and the campus community through various networking & social opportunities. This includes our ACE Series and CommUNITY Coffee Chat events. 

Maximize your organization's impact and potential growth by engaging in our comprehensive suite of resources tailored for community partners like you. 

Join our monthly CommUNITY partner meetings to foster collaborations and expand your network, while gaining valuable insights and best practices in volunteer management through our iServe workshops. Engage in valuable discussions by attending ACE Series Webinars, featuring expert speakers discussing relevant topics on community engagement. By actively participating in these events, you'll not only enhance your knowledge and skills but also build valuable connections and partnerships, positioning your organization for sustained growth and impact in the community."

We help you get connected to courses at WVU that embed service into their curriculum to enhance learning! 

Service-learning is a teaching and learning strategy by which students learn through functional and structured community service tied to specific learning outcomes and integrated through reflection.

Example of a service-learning experience:  A Strategic Communications course pairs students with local nonprofit organizations to develop press releases as they learn and practice these skills throughout the semester. The students have an opportunity to see their work utilized to impact a local cause, get real feedback from a ‘client’, and have an opportunity to practice what they are learning in the classroom while reflecting and getting feedback from their professor. 

Partners can access space on our Main Campus for free - we will even help you with your reservation! 

We love to share the great work of our partners, especially through social media and our monthly newsletters! 

By featuring upcoming volunteer events and highlighting specific needs, we can inspire students to contribute their time and skills towards meaningful causes, creating a ripple effect of positive change in our communities. Regular updates across these channels ensure that our audience stays informed and inspired to be active participants in our local community. 

Through iServe, we offer a comprehensive platform for not only organizing volunteer events but also for tracking and showcasing the tangible impact of these efforts. Our community partners greatly benefit from iServe's functionalities, especially when it comes to collecting essential data for impact reports and grant applications.

iServe streamlines the data collection process, making it easier for organizations to gather accurate information on volunteer hours, tasks completed, and overall engagement levels. This detailed data plays a vital role in illustrating the real-world impact of volunteer efforts, which is crucial for reporting to stakeholders, securing funding, and enhancing organizational transparency.

One of the unique features of iServe is the 'Volunteer Resume' that each organization receives. This document serves as a comprehensive summary of volunteer data and statistics, providing an in-depth overview of volunteer contributions over time.

Community partners have the exciting opportunity to collaborate with WVU Federal Work Study students for part-time employment, enriching their teams with motivated individuals eager to contribute to meaningful projects. This unique program not only benefits the participating organizations but also provides invaluable learning and professional development experiences for students.By tapping into the Federal Work Study program and Purpose2Action, community partners gain access to a diverse pool of talented students ready to bring fresh perspectives and innovative solutions to the table. 

Looking to advertise paid positions at your agency to WVU students? Look no further! 

Through Handshake, we offer a seamless platform to connect with talented students eager to join your team. Whether you're looking for interns, part-time employees, or full-time staff, Handshake simplifies the hiring process and helps you reach a wide pool of qualified candidates from West Virginia University.

When surplus items become available, we want our partners to be able to take advantage of them! 

Be a part of new programs and initiatives. Be invited to participate in large-scale service projects. Your success is our success!