University & Community Partnerships

The Saguaro Seminar is an ongoing initiative of Professor Robert D. Putnam at the John F. Kennedy School of Government at Harvard University. The project focuses on expanding what we know about our levels of trust and community engagement and on developing strategies and efforts to increase this engagement. Current areas of research include: the relationship between workplace policies and social capital both at work and at home; the relationship between social capital, diversity and equality; and the relationship between religion and public life.

The National Center for Education Statistics is the primary federal entity for collecting and analyzing data that are related to education in the United States, with a wealth of information and links to other education sector information sources. It also publishes the quarterly journal, Education Statistics Quarterly, which is available on its website.

The Journal for Civic Commitment, a journal supported by the federal government's Corporation for National Service, is dedicated to growing and strengthening the discussion around service learning. Published twice a year, the website makes available articles both from current and back issues.

Funded by the W.K. Kellogg Foundation, the Engaged Institutions project seeks to embed an ethos of “community engagement” in four major public universities: the University of Texas, El Paso; the University of California, Santa Cruz; the University of Minnesota, Twin Cities; and Pennsylvania State University. While the primary purpose of the site is to promote information sharing among program participants, the site also aims to inform a broader public audience. PolicyLink, based in Oakland, California, is the developer and maintainer of the site.

Conducting research on the civic and political engagement of Americans between the ages of 15 and 25, The Center for Information and Research on Civic Learning and Engagement (CIRCLE) works to expand and change the public conversation regarding young people. CIRCLE states that their work has helped illustrate the benefits and cost effectiveness of mobilizing young people for political campaigns and that the Center has provided technical assistance and research for more than 300 organizations that supply youth services.