May 2024

NEWS

Asian American Pacific Islander (AAPI) Heritage Month celebrates the cultures, traditions, and histories of Asian Americans, Native Hawaiians, and Pacific Islanders in the United States. This month highlights the stories and experiences of those individuals with ties to the Asian continent and the Pacific Islands of Melanesia, Micronesia, and Polynesia. Learn more about AAPI Heritage Month through this curated list of resources, from the College of Education, Health, and Human Sciences (CEHHS), centering AAPI voices and stories.  

Haitian Heritage Month provides an opportunity to celebrate the vibrant culture, distinct art, traditions, and people of Haitian origin. This celebration is an expansion of the annual patriotic Haitian Flag Day, which falls on May 18. 

Established in 2006, Jewish American Heritage Month honors the rich history, cultural heritage, and invaluable contributions, including the arts, business, public service, and social justice movements of Jewish Americans in the United States. CEHHS has curated a list of resources centering Jewish voices and stories here. 

The Office of Community Engagement and Outreach offers a variety of professional development opportunities, many of which are cohort based. The new Community Engagement Bootcamp is an interdisciplinary opportunity for any UT faculty, staff, postdocs, and graduate students that want to learn the foundations of community engagement, outreach, and engaged scholarship.

Participants will be provided with background literature, engage in facilitated discussion, and increase their knowledge as they reflect on their practice of community engagement, outreach, and scholarship. The in-person session will be held on June 6 from 9:00 a.m. to 3:00 p.m. If you would like to attend, please register here by June 3. For questions or more information, please email communityengagement@utk.edu. 

Independent Sector and the Do Good Institute recently announced that the value of a volunteer hour is $33.49, a 5.3% increase from the previous year. In Tennessee, the value rose from $28.12 in 2022 to $29.93 in 2023. 

The UT Office of Community Engagement and Outreach congratulates the third annual summer cohort for the Community Engagement Academy (CEA) Summer Intensive occurring June 4-5.

Participants will explore fundamental concepts of community engagement, academic outreach, and community-engaged scholarship, and learn to apply these with their research, teaching, and practice. Through interactive sessions, guided discussions, and a community tour, participants will discuss grand challenges and potential solutions. 

Earlier this month, Jon Shefner was honored with the 2024 Excellence in Academic Outreach award for his work to exemplify UT’s land-grant mission by using intellectual capital to benefit the citizens of Tennessee. Most recently, Jon created the Community University Research Collaboration Initiative (CURCI) to bring the expertise and needs of community organizations together with UTK researchers and students. That initiative, funded by the Division of Access and Engagement, the Office of Community Engagement and Outreach, and the Office of Research, Innovation, and Economic Development. has brought 14 local community organizations together with 20 faculty members and multiple students from across the University to address community needs. 

On May 5, the Office of Community Engagement and Outreach collaborated with the Knoxville Area Urban League (KAUL) for the annual Sneaker Ball. Held in the Student Union, 35 KAUL National Achiever's Society (NAS) scholars were honored and celebrated for their dedication, achievement, community service, and other accomplishments. Guests arrived in style, sporting semi-formal attire and the latest sneaker fashion. After a keynote address by Clarice Phelps of Oak Ridge National Labs, scholars shared highlights of their NAS experience and postsecondary plans. 

On May 1, the Community Learning and Engagement department of UT Libraries hosted 78 students from Algood Middle School for an inaugural 2nd Bridge event. Designed for first generation students from outside of Knoxville, the 2nd Bridge program aims to bridge the gap between K-12 and college programs by offering early exploration, resource connection, and confidence building. 

The day included a lunch-and-learn student panel with Angelica Rose Nepomuceno (graduate student in Business Cybersecurity), Brandon Meadows (undergraduate Aerospace Engineering student), and Luke Leftwich (undergraduate majoring in Biology and English). The students were able to connect with all the students, particularly Leftwich, an alumnus  of Algood Middle School. Following the panel, the middle school students interacted with 15 campus faculty members, partners, and departments, including the Haslam College of Business, the College of Nursing, Undergraduate Admissions, the Institute of Agriculture’s 4-H Extension, and more. 

The Office of the Provost, Division of Access and Engagement, and Office of Research, Innovation, and Economic Development celebrated 9 faculty members for their completion of the 2023-24 Research Development Academy (RDA). Led by Diane Kelly, Vice Provost for Faculty Affairs, and Javiette Samuel, Associate Vice Chancellor for Access and Engagement, the RDA cohort met monthly throughout the academic year. Pre-tenure scholars engaged in a variety of personal and professional development, including but not limited to one-on-one coaching sessions, mentoring, community building, access to senior level administrators, and a research presentation. 

While a variety of UT units partner with Austin-East Magnet High School on mutually beneficial partnerships throughout the academic year and summer, on May 7, the Office of Community Engagement and Outreach and Commission for Black Communities celebrated faculty, staff, and administrators during Teacher Appreciation Week. Austin-East is one of UT’s Flagship high schools. The Flagship Scholarship is offered to admitted first-year students who graduate from one of 38 designated Flagship high schools across Tennessee.

UConnecT is an inclusive, yearlong immersive leadership and professional development program for nonexempt employees, while UTILA is a cohort for exempt staff, aligning with UT's mission, vision, and values while reinforcing inclusive leadership behaviors. Earlier this month, UConnecT and UTILA celebrated the achievements of the 2023-24 cohorts. The Office of Community Engagement and Outreach (OCEO) extends our congratulation to Tasha Herrell, OCEO Administrative Specialist, for her completion of UConnecT and Sonja Jackson, OCEO Assistant Director, and Kevin Reeves, Director of Strategic Initiatives for their completion of UTILA. 

Applications for 2024-2025 Learning and Organizational Development's leadership cohorts are open and will close on June 7. Click here to apply for UConnecT and here to apply for UTILA. 

The Office of Community Engagement and Outreach partnered with Grandparents As Parents to host their annual conference on March 23.  This year's theme was Grandparenting the 2nd Time Around.  Workshops ranged from parenting to self-care, all with the purpose of helping grandparents be the best they can for the young people in their care. 

On April 4, the federal Office of Management and Budget (OMB) released its major rewrite of the Uniform Guidance, the set of common rules governing most federal grantmaking to charitable nonprofits, state, local, and Tribal governments, and others, effective on October 1, 2024. The newly released rewrite addresses longstanding problems in covering nonprofits' actual costs, advances equity by making grants accessible to more organizations and communities, and makes other significant reforms that will reduce bureaucratic barriers and burdens and costs of seeking, performing, and reporting on grants using federal funds.

The networks of the National Council of Nonprofits are hosting a special, nationwide free webinar, OMB Uniform Guidance: What the Updates Mean for Nonprofits, on May 30 from 3:30 – 4:30 p.m. to make sure charitable nonprofits know about the significant improvements to the Uniform Guidance, and what the changes mean for their missions.

ENGAGEMENT AND OUTREACH OPPORTUNITIES

Join the MLK Commemorative Commission for the 2024 MLK March/Parade and Juneteenth Celebration, a celebration of freedom and heritage on Wednesday, June 19. The event will begin with registration and lineup at Chilhowee Park, offering community members the chance to participate actively in this historic march. Parade line up begins at 8:30 a.m. and will step off at 10:00 a.m. The festivities will culminate at Dr. Walter Hardy Park, where the Juneteenth Celebration will commence at noon with a range of activities, performances, and educational opportunities.

UT is registered as a group, so it is unnecessary to register individually. For planning purposes, please RSVP with UT here by June 7. If you have questions, please email Quannah Washington at qwashing@utk.edu.

ENGAGE! editors have announced a call for manuscript submissions for the next edition of the journal focused on Reckoning, Reparations, and Regeneration from Global and Local Contexts. This special issue, published by IUPUI, calls for manuscripts that: 1) use a community focused perspective to clearly elucidate the historical, micro/individual, mezzo, and/or structural reasons for which reparations are necessary to disrupt persistent collective social injury while fostering community healing and wholeness and 2) explain the most appropriate mechanisms for providing reparations to address the current inequalities. Theoretical, community-based, and interdisciplinary frameworks for discussing these issues are encouraged. Community members and community-engaged scholars from a wide range of scientific and professional backgrounds are encouraged to submit manuscripts. A distinctive characteristic of the journal is that articles must be conceptualized, written and disseminated with a community partner. Submissions are due June 1. 

Please note while each issue has an area of thematic focus, ENGAGE!, a peer-reviewed journal, accepts manuscripts, as well as pieces reflecting the visual and performing arts, on any topic of relevance to community engaged research.  For example, other possible areas of interest are, but not limited to: Homelessness and Housing and Urban Development; Faith Movements and Community Developments; Truth, Racial Healing and Indigenous Peoples; Neoliberalism and Community Economic Development; Environmental Justice; Communities of Persons with Disabilities; Advancing Methodological Approaches to Community Engaged Research; Current Issues that are Global/International in Nature.  

As the field of community engagement continues to develop and expand, the opportunities for professional development are increasing as well. As you begin planning for 2024-25,  consider the following opportunities: 

Campus Compact recently announced a new partnership initiative funded by The Allstate Foundation - The Allstate Foundation Youth Action Board. The Youth Action Board will develop and participate in youth-led service initiatives, plan and launch national youth engagement efforts (including summits and days of service), advise The Allstate Foundation and its partners on pressing youth issues, and expand Campus Compact’s commitment to centering student civic voices and providing opportunities for student leadership. Eventually, The first fifteen Youth Action Board members will be selected through a competitive application process this spring for the inaugural Board term, which will span from August 1, 2024, to August 1, 2025.

For their service, Youth Action Board members will receive leadership training and staff support from Campus Compact, $4,000 in stipends for each year of service, and opportunities to travel and present at national conferences. To be eligible, applicants must be between the ages of 18 and 22 during their time of service. Applications are due May 31.

FUNDING, FELLOWSHIPS, AND AWARDS

Caplan Foundation for Early Childhood (CFEC) supports promising research and development projects that appear likely to improve the welfare of young children, from infancy to age 7, in the U.S. Welfare is broadly defined to include physical and mental health, safety, nutrition, education, play, familial support, acculturation, societal integration and childcare. The Foundation’s goal is to provide seed money to implement imaginative proposals that exhibit the greatest chance of improving the lives of young children, on a national scale. The Foundation provides funding in the following areas: Parenting Education, Early Childhood Welfare, and Early Childhood Education and Play. Letters of Intent are due by May 31. 

Arnold Ventures (AV) is a nonpartisan philanthropy whose core mission is to invest in evidence-based solutions that maximize opportunity and minimize injustice. It works in four key issue areas: Criminal Justice, Education, Health, and Public Finance. AV’s work is guided by Evidence-Based Policy, Research, and Advocacy. The programs below are open for submission, some with deadlines of June 1 and others on rolling basis: 

The Young Scholars Program (YSP) supports scholarship for early-career researchers. The program funds implementation research that is policy- and practice-relevant, and that examines the preparation, competency, compensation, well-being, and ongoing professional learning of the early care and education (ECE) workforce. All proposed research must have primary questions that are relevant to at least one of the Foundation’s three ECE workforce goals.  Letters of Intent are due by June 3.  

Patient-Centered Outcomes Research Institute (PCORI) has announced a RFP focused on engagement of partners in research; i.e., the life-cycle of planning, conducting and disseminating research projects. PCORI is seeking to fund studies that build an evidence base on engagement in research, including: measures to capture structure/context, process and outcomes of engagement in research (for both stakeholders and investigators), techniques that lead to effective engagement in research (particularly for unrepresented populations), and how effective engagement techniques should be modified and resourced for different contexts, settings and communities to ensure equity in engagement and research. The Rapid Measurement Studies will fund up to $1 million over a period of up to 24 months, and the Development and Testing of Engagement Approaches offers up to $1.5 million over a period of up to 3 years. Letters of Intent are due by June 4. If you intend to apply, kindly let Jill Passano know.

The Food Justice for Kids Prize, an initiative of Newman’s Own Foundation, will provide up to $1 million in total funding over two years to nonprofits, public schools, and tribes working to advance food justice for children in the United States. Funds will be provided for projects that support community-based direct service, ecosystem and community power building, and sustainable practices that drive 1) food justice for Indigenous children or 2) enhanced nutrition education and nutritious school food. Applications are due by June 11.  

ProLiteracy builds the capacity of adult literacy programs to transform lives and communities. ProLiteracy’s Literacy Opportunity Fund provides grants to nonprofit literacy organizations of all types and sizes in the United States that are doing direct work with adult students. Grants can cover general operating expenses, including salaries, technology, supplies, teacher stipends, equipment, space rental, etc., or may focus on a particular project, event, or new programming effort. Grants are awarded four times a year: July 1, October 1, January 3, and April 1. 

The AAAS Early Career Award for Public Engagement with Science recognizes early-career scientists and engineers who demonstrate excellence in their contribution to public engagement with science activities. The recipient receives a monetary prize of $5,000, a commemorative plaque, and recognition at the AAAS Annual Meeting. 

For the purposes of this award, public engagement activities are defined as the individual’s active participation in efforts to engage with the public on science- and technology-related issues and promote meaningful dialogue between science and society, above and beyond required job responsibilities. Nominations are open April 17 - July 14.

The AAAS Mani L. Bhaumik Award for Public Engagement with Science recognizes scientists and engineers who demonstrate excellence in their contribution to public engagement with science. The recipient receives a monetary prize of $5,000, a commemorative plaque, and recognition at the AAAS Annual Meeting.

Beginning with the 2019 award year, the award is endowed by and named for quantum physicist Mani L. Bhaumik. Bhaumik is internationally known for the advances he made to excimer laser technology, which eventually led to Lasik eye surgery. He hopes to elevate the recognition of working and retired scientists for their exceptional efforts to communicate science in ways that inform and engage the public.

For the purposes of this award, public engagement activities are defined as the individual’s active participation in efforts to engage with the public on science- and technology-related issues and promote meaningful dialogue between science and society, above and beyond required job responsibilities. Nominations are open April 17 - June 30.

The American Fundraising Foundation (AmFund) will begin accepting applications for the 2024 Golden Pear Grant Program beginning June 4. Organizations can complete and submit a simple form online at www.AmFund.org/giving. This is the first step to qualify for a Golden Pear Grant. The submission deadline is 3:00 p.m. on  July 16.

When awarded, these grants will provide unrestricted funds to help support nonprofit organizations throughout the United States. 

The Rural Technology Fund provides grants to schools and organizations in the United States for rural technology education projects and assistive technology projects. Rural Technology Education Grants support teacher and student-led projects in public schools and libraries to help spark student interest in technology-based careers. Grants averaging $500-$2500 are available on a rolling basis.

Kars4Kids is a national Jewish nonprofit organization that funds educational and youth programs in communities throughout the United States. The Kars4Kids Small Grant Program provides support to nonprofit organizations throughout the U.S. with a focus on doing work on behalf of children. Areas of interest include education, youth development, and mentorship. Determination is made on a case-by-case basis, depending on factors like mission alignment and availability of funds. Grants typically range from $500-$2000.

The Auto Club Group Foundation provides support in the areas of traffic safety, driver education, and financial literacy programming throughout Auto Club Group’s 14-state footprint. Applications are accepted year-round and are evaluated based on alignment with the Auto Club Group Foundation’s priorities, project description, project outcomes, and available budget.

Office of Community Engagement and Outreach

If you are conducting community-engaged research, scholarship, or outreach work, we invite you to share your activity with us. Your work is important and deserves to be elevated to the highest extent possible. Please complete the Engagement Project Form here. 

If you received a copy of this newsletter from someone else and want to subscribe, please click here. 

Office of Community Engagement and Outreach
within the Division of Access and Engagement
301 Andy Holt Tower
1331 Circle Park Drive
Knoxville, TN 37996
Phone: 865-974-4742
Website: communityengagement.utk.edu
Email: communityengagement@utk.edu