Community Connections Series
Issue-focused mixers and community tours that connect ¶¶Òõ¶ÌÊÓƵ faculty and community partners through dialogue, trust-building, and shared learning.
The Provost’s Community Engagement Fellows and the Center for Community Engagement bring together faculty, nonprofits, schools, and local organizations to explore regional issues. Through mixers and tours, the series builds relationships, sparks collaboration, and documents engagement efforts that shape student success and community impact.
The series is a pilot initiative designed to:
- Strengthen relationships between ¶¶Òõ¶ÌÊÓƵ faculty and community partners.
- Increase mutual understanding of local priorities, assets, and challenges.
- Document community-engaged scholarship, teaching, and service across colleges.
- Support institutional goals, including ¶¶Òõ¶ÌÊÓƵ’s Carnegie Community Engagement priorities.
Education Equity & Access Mixer
Join us for the Education Equity & Access Mixer, a gathering that celebrates and strengthens partnerships expanding educational opportunities across our region.
This event brings together faculty, staff, and community partners from across ¶¶Òõ¶ÌÊÓƵ’s colleges—not just those working with school districts—to explore innovative approaches that advance equity in K–12 and higher education.
Together, participants will:
- Share promising practices for community-engaged research and teaching/learning partnerships
- Reflect on strategies to strengthen equitable partnerships
- Explore new opportunities to collaborate across disciplines and sectors
Enjoy an afternoon of connection, conversation, and collaboration at the beautiful ¶¶Òõ¶ÌÊÓƵ Rubin Center for the Visual Arts. Light refreshments will be served.
Health & Wellbeing Mixer - Coming Spring 2026
Centers on the social and community factors shaping wellness in the Paso del Norte region. Provides space to exchange strategies that promote physical, mental, and social health and to explore new partnership models.
Borderlands & Immigration Tour
This experience is designed exclusively for ¶¶Òõ¶ÌÊÓƵ faculty interested in strengthening community-engaged teaching and research.
The Borderlands & Immigration Tour offers ¶¶Òõ¶ÌÊÓƵ faculty participants an immersive look at the complex realities of life along the U.S.–Mexico border—highlighting how migration, identity, and community intersect across the region.
Through guided site visits, partner-led presentations, and reflective discussions, faculty will engage with local organizations addressing issues of immigration, social equity, health, and education.
Stops include:
- Abara – exploring border perspectives and community outreach
- La Fe – highlighting health and immigration advocacy efforts
- Café Mayapan – community lunch and conversation on borderlands identity with Dr. Sarah and students
Space is limited — RSVP early
Environmental Sustainability Tour - Coming Spring 2026
Site visits to organizations addressing water, climate, and environmental justice. Emphasizes sustainability efforts, resilience strategies, and challenges shaping the region’s environmental future while identifying opportunities for academic–community collaboration.
Dec 3, 2025 – Education Equity & Access Mixer
4:30–6:00 pm | On Campus – Rubin Center
A gathering focused on educational access, spotlighting regional initiatives to strengthen equitable student pathways.
Dec 15, 2025 – Borderlands & Immigration Tour
9:00 am–3:00 pm | Abara; La Fe; Café Mayapan (Lunch); End at Abara
An immersive experience highlighting border dynamics, migration, identity, and community resilience through site visits and panels.
Feb 2026 – Health & Wellbeing Mixer
4:30–6:00 pm | On Campus – Campbell Building (TBD)
Focused on health equity and wellbeing, this mixer emphasizes cross-sector approaches to physical, mental, and community health.
May 8, 2026 – Environmental Sustainability Tour
9:00 am–2:30 pm | Keystone Heritage Park; Alamito Steam; Frontera Land; Familias Unidas; La Semilla; TBD Water Site
Exploring regional sustainability and climate resilience projects, with partner-led sessions on water, activism, and environmental justice.