The Office of Outreach and Engagement has compiled the following professional development opportunities for community engaged scholars for the autumn 2026 semester.
These offerings are either hosted by our office or hosted (free of charge) by our affiliated national organizations: the Engagement Scholarship Consortium; Campus Compact and the Coalition of Urban and Metropolitan Universities. Ohio State holds institutional memberships for all three organizations, and these activities are free of charge for affiliated Ohio State students, staff and faculty (although they may require account creation or registration).
These webinars provide practical strategies, insights from experienced practitioners and scholars, and opportunities to learn from peers across the university and the country.
Whether you are new to community engagement or looking to deepen your expertise, this series offers a welcoming space to learn, connect, and strengthen your impact.
Office of Outreach and Engagement Professional Development Series
STEM Community Engagement Opportunities at Ohio State
September 28: Noon - 1 p.m.
Learn about STEM related community engagement activities and opportunities at Ohio State. Speakers will share opportunities for research and community engagement at COSI, WestFest and through OSU Extension.
Speakers:
- Cynthia Canan, Assistant Professor and State 4-H STEM Specialist, OSU Extension, College of Food, Agricultural, and Environmental Science
- Marci Howdyshell, Chief of Science Content and Onsite Experiences, Center of Science and Industry (COSI)
- Courtney Price, Community Outreach Liaison, Office of Community Engagement, College of Arts and Sciences
Exploring and Developing Community-Engaged Teaching and Learning at Ohio State
November 2: Noon - 1 p.m.
Real world assignments and activities can improve student engagement in any class. This introductory workshop explores the kinds of community engaged teaching and learning supported by Ohio State, reviews successful community-based assignments, courses, and programs, and guides participants through the initial stages of designing experiential learning for their courses.
This will be a collaborative workshop from the Office of Outreach and Engagement, the Drake Institute for Teaching and Learning and the Office of Undergraduate Education. Speakers will be announced when they are finalized.
Professional Development Opportunities Available Through our Institutional Memberships
The AI Tightrope: Recognizing and Resisting the Roles of AI in Community Engagement
September 23: 1 - 1:45 p.m.
Hosted by: Coalition of Metropolitan and Urban Universities
AI is reshaping the conditions under which community-engaged teaching and partnership work happens. The tools promise efficiency while threatening the relational, place-based integrity that defines this field. In this dialogue, Lance Eaton and Becca Berkey (Northeastern University) walk the tightrope between leveraging AI's affordances and resisting its encroachment on experiential learning's core commitments.
Making Community Engagement Count: Promotion and Tenure Lessons From Recently Promoted Scholars
October 28: Noon - 1:45 p.m.
Hosted by: Engagement Scholarship Consortium
In this webinar, recently promoted or tenured faculty will share practical insights from their own journeys, including strategies for documenting community-engaged scholarship, demonstrating impact, building a strong promotion dossier, and balancing institutional expectations with authentic community partnerships.
Ethics, Equity, and Responsible AI Use in Community Engagement
November 10: 9:30 - 10:30 a.m.
Hosted by: Engagement Scholarship Consortium
In this webinar, community engagement researchers will discuss their innovative approaches to responsibly integrating AI tools with their scholarship while maintaining rigorous ethical standards, transparency, and accountability to community partners.
Success Strategies for Unpacking Your Community Engagement Work Into Multiple Scholarly Pieces
December 11: Noon - 1 p.m.
Hosted by: Engagement Scholarship Consortium
Do you have a great service-learning, outreach teaching, community-engaged research, or Extension project and are unsure how to write it up for a peer-reviewed publication? Are you familiar with disciplinary journals and are interested in branching out into interdisciplinary community engagement journals but not sure where to get started? Then this interactive workshop is for you.