Community engagement (CE) has been identified as an important pillar alongside teaching and research in higher education. Despite this it has emerged slowly within the South African landscape due to a lack of understanding regarding engagement. Drawing on in-depth interviews, this study sought to explore how academics (N=14), at a University of…

This article argues for the beneficial interconnectedness of adult basic education as an educational practice, community-based participatory research as a methodological approach, and the framework of transformative learning, for exploring and theorizing about adult learning and education. It is elaborated that these three approaches are connected…

This article speaks to the challenge of public land-grant universities addressing public need through community--academic partnerships and presents a case study to explain and illustrate these challenges. Included in this approach is the acknowledgment that as universities strive to bring the community perspective to their knowledge production,…

In 2024, WestEd partnered with Sobrato Philanthropies to conduct a strategic and economic analysis of English Learner programs in the state of California. The study sought to define the scale of economic challenges and explore underlying conditions impacting the costs of implementing English Learner programs in California in alignment with best…

There has been little quantitative research on the impact of specialized teacher preparation for working with multilingual students. Yet districts, states, and the U.S. Department of Education are investing to increase the number of teachers with this specialized preparation. This article explores challenges in conducting research on this topic…

Teaching science in an age of disinformation and misinformation requires empowering students to address inaccurate information in evidence-based ways. Science communication scholarship highlights the growing importance of inclusive and relational approaches for addressing misinformation. Thus, we developed, implemented, and evaluated an…

This report, which focuses on a completed school project in Allentown, Pennsylvania, is one of two case studies focused on new public schools. In partnership with Enterprise Community Partners and their partners in these communities, we explored how two school openings affected access to opportunities for children. The case studies aim to…

With globalization as a focal point in the United States and encouraged in our educational system, the significance of intercultural competence has been amplified. To advance this concept among middle school students, international university students, and the local community, a partnership was formed to offer an international awareness program…

In the context of rising global displacement and the politicization of humanitarian assistance, refugee health disparities are worsening due to trauma, stigma, and limited access to health and social services. Structural oppression, rooted in state policies and dominant nationalist narratives, perpetuates these inequities, which are often…

Many community-academic partnerships are established to conduct meaningful research and practice. Yet, little is written about their sustainability and what does exist suggests that effective partnerships are hard to sustain. In this study, we sought insights into what might support successful, enduring community-academic partnerships focused on…

Background: The International Classification of Functioning, Disability, and Health includes important considerations of environmental context in understanding disability, but the environmental impact is often difficult to measure. Purpose: Demonstrates the use of Geographic Information Systems (GIS) and Global Positioning Systems (GPS) in…

This article recounts our field experience and research in TfD in the Ofabo community, Kogi State, Nigeria. Through socially engaged performance and participant observation, this study finds that the poor state of drinking water in the Ofabo community results from government negligence, inadequate awareness, and the inactivity of community…

In this article, we investigate the community-driven science happening organically in elite athletics as a means of engaging a community of learners--collegiate athletes, many of whom come from underrepresented groups--in STEM. We aim to recognize the data literacy practices inherent in sports play and to explore the potential of "critical…

Governmental policies in the United States and beyond increasingly call for school leaders to involve local communities in decision-making, yet engagement practices have often centered the perspectives of White parents and marginalized the voices of racially minoritized families. In this comparative case study of seven school districts, we draw on…

Service learning is an effective approach to deepen student learning through engagement of action and reflection. This project was structured to benefit students as well as our community partner by addressing a pressing need during the COVID pandemic.