Boundary Spanning: Engagement across Disciplines, Communities, and Geography

Narratives from 3 presenters at the closing session of the 2013 Engagement Scholarship Consortium Conference demonstrate that higher education institutions and communities can forge deep and sustainable relationships to address the "wicked problems" in their countries and communities. University leaders in Nigeria described how students and faculty at the American University participate in service-learning courses and programs that have generated important local economic impacts. A community partner described the impact on educational access and civic leadership for a partnership between a Brazilian high school curriculum provider and a U.S. university, Texas Tech. A young Canadian scholar who works with "marginalized, stigmatized, and excluded communities in the world" described these partners as "environmental heroes" and shared a powerful vision of university and community collaboration across the globe. Together, these narratives weave a vision for global partnerships that have tangible impacts for peace, economic security, educational access, and quality of life.