With many communities in and around Cedar Falls experiencing a series of enduring hardships in the past months, the need for members of the community to band together to create positive change has never been more necessary. The UNI Office of Community Engagement is specifically tailored to address and provide assistance to help fulfill the needs of the Cedar Valley and surrounding communities.

On Friday, Sept. 25, the Office of Community Engagement orchestrated a town hall focusing on community engagement and problem solving. The virtual event hoped to bring current community leaders and others in the area together to create beneficial partnerships in  Cedar Falls and surrounding areas, helping enable those seeking to assist their communities.

What would have typically been held as an in-person event in years past was adapted into an online format this year in order to adhere to campus COVID-19 guidelines. Participants were able to register online and take part in a Zoom video call with other participants from the community. 

The event was organized by Community Engagement Program Coordinator, Kristina Kofoot, along with Executive Director of the Nonprofit Leadership Alliance, Julianne Gassman, who led the Zoom call. Participants in the town hall consisted of community members (including Cedar Falls Mayor Rob Green), UNI faculty and students.

The main goal of the gathering  was to continue to implement effective conversations around concrete solutions to community issues within the Cedar Valley. However, leaders of the town hall clearly expressed these community outreach programs do not always have to include UNI itself, but rather focus on the overall benefit these programs could provide to their respective communities. 

By way of multiple Zoom breakout rooms, attendees were able to engage in group discussions with fellow community members. These discussions pertained to a wide range of prevalent topics including youth education, STEM, economic growth and poverty, research, sustainability, direct service, social justice and health and well-being. 

Each breakout discussion was led by individuals from the Office of Community Engagement who focused on facilitating engagement among participants. Throughout these conversations, individuals were encouraged to direct their attention to incorporating anti-racism practices while also maintaining equity when directing or participating in outreach programs. 

Gassman spoke to this issue before the breakout discussions.

“Consider how you practice anti-racism in all that you do and how you ensure equity,” she said. “While we have different focused conversations… I still think it is really important to center anti-racism and equity in those conversations.” 

In the coming months, the Office of Community Engagement is hosting the UNI Fall Blood Drive at the Wellness Recreation Center on Oct. 21, with more events continuing into the next semester.

For those looking for more information about the Office of Community Engagement and their wide variety of partnerships, or those seeking to get involved themselves, visit their webpage at https://engagement.uni.edu/ or visit their offices, located in room 107 in the Human Performance Center.