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University’s FACES center asks for community affiliates to build sustained STEM and engagement partnerships
Summary
Representatives of the Illinois Center for Family and Community Engaged STEAM (FACES) described a partnership model — 'for, in, and with' — and asked local organizations to become collaborators or affiliates to sustain university‑community work in Black and Brown neighborhoods.
A representative of the Illinois Center for Family and Community Engaged STEAM (FACES) described a community‑driven partnership model and invited organizations to join as collaborators or affiliates. The presenter said the center operates statewide programs that prioritize work “with” communities rather than doing things “for” or only “in” them; examples include family‑engaged STEM programming, partnerships with community organizations such as Dream and CHIC, and material‑science outreach that brings academic researchers into neighborhood settings. How to partner: the center’s representative said partner forms and more information were available on a handout and at a back table; partnership levels include collaborators and affiliates, with benefits including resource sharing and visibility on the center’s website. Why it matters: the center emphasized sustainability and community guidance for university outreach, aiming to avoid short‑term or extractive projects and to foster long‑term capacity building in underserved neighborhoods.
