KCC Ovations
Campus Compact's Communities of Practice: Elevating Civic Engagement Nationwide
Over the summer, Helen-Margaret Nasser, director of Kingsborough Community College’s (KCC) Student Union and Intercultural Center, and Jason Leggett, KCC criminal justice professor and director of KCC’s Center for Civic Engagement, led a nationwide Communities of Practice (CoP) in collaboration with Campus Compact, bringing together 25 participants from colleges across the United States to enrich civic engagement through structured learning opportunities and collaborative knowledge sharing.
Broadly speaking, civic engagement plays a vital role in making the world a better place. It involves activities that aim to improve communities and empower citizens, including volunteering, local projects, and efforts to enhance campuses and neighborhoods.
Campus Compact is a national nonprofit organization and the largest and oldest higher education association dedicated to higher education civic and community engagement. Its members include thousands of presidents, faculty, researchers, students, and civic and community engagement experts at colleges and universities.
The four-week CoP led by Nasser and Leggett, titled "Transformative Discourse Across Differences: Designing Intentional Structured Learning Opportunities for Civic Learning and Democratic Engagement," provided participants with tools to integrate intentional learning into their civic engagement practices. “We scaffolded the weeks by having participants first understand their own identity, the background and stories of their student population, understanding the mission and values of their institution and how their role fits in, and finally working to identify community partners that can help advance and strengthen their civic engagement work,” noted Nasser. Handouts and real-world case studies guided them through the process, supported by a resource library that grew with contributions from participants.
CoPs offer a unique opportunity for Campus Compact members to deepen their knowledge and skills in specific areas of engagement practice, as well as form valuable connections among peers nationwide. Nasser, who previously led a similar CoP focused on equity at KCC, highlighted the unique value of these gatherings: “They offer a platform for robust idea exchange, collaboration, and mutual support — which unfortunately is not common in traditional workplace settings.”
Nasser finds connecting with scholars and practitioners in civic engagement nationwide deepens her dedication to this essential work. “This work is important because individuals working to advance civic engagement may be faced with struggles,” she explained. “In a CoP, we are able to help colleagues work to understand the challenges in new ways and develop strategic approaches to overcome them. Having the opportunity to connect with colleagues in similar roles across the country sheds light on common challenges and provides an atmosphere for support and connection.”
For more information about Campus Compact and Communities of Practice, visit https://compact.org/current-programs/communities-of-practice.