Ohio State Engages June-July 2024

Colleagues,

Although it is summer, there are many exciting activities and engagements occurring among our community of engaged practitioners and scholars. Summer is an important time for the Office of Outreach and Engagement, as we plan activities and programs for the autumn semester. Although autumn semester is still two months away, we are excited to share several updates regarding programming for the fall.

Roads Scholars Day: Roads Scholars Day will return for autumn semester on Sept. 13. We will visit multiple community partners and university colleagues on Columbus Near East Side. We hope you can join us for this opportunity to learn more about this vibrant and historically significant neighborhood.

Engaged Scholarship Symposium: Our Engaged Scholarship Symposium will be held on Nov. 1. Our symposium will be focused on engaged scholarship and the land-grant mission. We will also hold our second engaged scholarship graduate student poster competition as part of this years symposium.

Communities of Practice: We will host three communities of practice this autumn for our engaged practitioners, engaged faculty and engaged graduate students. We will share more details regarding our communities of practice at the start of the semester.

We look forward to continuing to engage with you all this autumn and we hope your summer is rejuvenating and productive.

Sincerely,

Jason Reece
Vice Provost for Urban Research and
Community Engagement
Office of Academic Affairs

Engaged Scholar Q&A: John Beacom

"The laws of science are universal, but access to science is not," says Arts and Sciences Distinguished Professor of Physics and Astronomy John Beacom (left). "That's a problem. Because science depends on creativity, having a greater range of perspectives will accelerate discovery ... we want everyone who is excited about a career in science to have ways to pursue that."

Ohio State Energy Partners makes annual philanthropic awards

Ohio State Energy Partners (OSEP) has announced the recipients of its 2024-25 philanthropic awards. The awards provide funding for proposals that align with Ohio State's sustainability goals and support the continuation of successful initiatives or the development/implementation of new programs or research projects that continue the trajectory of meeting the goals. As part of its commitment to academic collaboration, OSEP contributes $810,000 annually to the university or affiliated philanthropic causes.

Ohio State creates partnership for healthier living with new Healthy Community Center

With an aim to help people live healthier lives, The Ohio State University Wexner Medical Center has opened a Healthy Community Center in the Near East Side neighborhood of Columbus. The facility will be a community gathering place for health and wellness activities. Programming will include healthy eating and exercise workshops, health screening events, cancer risk education and other support services.

Ohio State hosts State Science Day: A Celebration of Science

State Science Day: A Celebration of Science took place on May 11 at the Ohio Union. All 88 of Ohio's counties were represented by more than 250 students from grades 5-12 who were invited to participate in the event, and more than $300,000 in scholarships and awards were given to participants.

Columbus City Schools teachers join STEAMM summer camp at Ohio State

Dozens of Columbus City Schools teachers started a recent warm summer morning on campus, walking into historic Orton Hall and past the skeleton of the giant theropod dinosaur Cryolophosaurus. The visit to Orton Hall was a daylong immersion into geology, paleontology and earth sciences. And it was one day in a week for the teachers and administrators at the STEAMM Rising Summer Institute.

Ohio States Coach Beyond program trains coaches to support athletes

Through a partnership between the Ohio High School Athletic Association and Ohio States LiFEsports Initiative, Coach Beyond has trained more than 15,000 coaches across the state in positive youth development practices with an emphasis on how to support student mental health.

Columbus middle schoolers get hands-on STEM lessons at Ohio State

More than 300 central Ohio middle school students visited the Columbus campus on May 10 to participate in hands-on activities in STEM (science, technology, engineering and mathematics) through the Breakfast of Science Champions event.

Community Music School

The Community Music School at Ohio State offers music instruction in person and online to children and adults with diverse backgrounds, skill levels and differing educational goals through private instruction, classes and ensembles. All students have the opportunity to participate in recitals and other school-sponsored events.

Opportunities

Register for the African American Behavioral Health Conference

Taking place July 25-26, the 2024 African American Behavioral Health Conference will engage scholars and practitioners in conversation regarding the latest research and clinical practices to support the African American community in Ohio.

Engaged Scholars Graduate Student Community of Practice: Sept. 4

Save the date to help us kick off the next academic year and join our community! This session will be all about connecting with other students and learning about what our community and the university have to offer for engaged scholars. The meeting will take place on Sept. 4 from 4:30-6 p.m.

Register now for the Engagement Scholarship Consortium Conference

The 2024 Engagement Scholarship Consortium (ESC) Conference will take place Oct. 9-10 in Portland, Oregon. This year's theme is "Pathways to Prosperity: Building Sustainable Futures through Community Engagement." The conference will be a place for engaging conversations about the many ways that we work collaboratively to define and build social and economic prosperity. The early-bird registration deadline is Aug. 23. Ohio State is a member of ESC.

Registration Open: Coalition of Urban and Metropolitan Universities Conference

Join the Coalition of Urban and Metropolitan Universities (CUMU) for its 2024 annual conference "Beyond Boundaries" in MinneapolisSaint Paul, Minnesota. Oct. 20-23. Attendees will critically examine how our campuses are building bridges that span real and perceived boundaries to enhance the well-being of our students, communities, and regions. Ohio State is a member of CUMU.

Make connections with the Outreach and Engagement listserv

Did you know you can connect with colleagues through the Outreach and Engagement listserv? You can share your work and events, look for partnerships and much more by emailing the list at outreach@lists.osu.edu.