Community Partnership Sign-up for Problem-Based Learning & Community Engagement Workshop with Rollins Faculty

Hello Community Partners,

We hope this message finds you well. For those we haven’t yet met, our names are Meredith Hein (Director) and Victoria Teske (Associate Director) with the Center for Leadership & Community Engagement at Rollins College.

We’re reaching out to invite you to a special community partner centered session as part of our Problem Based Learning (PBL) and Community Engagement Course Re Design Workshop, taking place on Thursday, May 14, from 8:30–10:30 a.m. This session is designed specifically for nonprofit and community partners whose impact areas align with faculty interests. It’s an exciting opportunity to connect with faculty who are looking to build strategic, intentional partnerships into one or more of their courses.

What to Expect
We would love for you to join us for:
• Organic networking with Rollins Faculty over breakfast (8:30-9:30)
• Community Partner–Faculty “Speed Dating” conversations organized by impact area (9:30-10:30)

During this interactive session, you’ll have the opportunity to talk with multiple Rollins faculty members who are redesigning courses to include hands on, community engaged, problem based projects. These conversations will help identify strong matches between real community challenges and course learning goals, with the intention of building partnerships for Fall 2026 or Spring 2027 courses.

About the Courses & Student Engagement
Across disciplines, Rollins faculty are redesigning courses, so students work in teams on authentic challenges identified by nonprofit partners. These partnerships are:
• Flexible and time bound
• Designed to be mutually beneficial
• Structured to ensure students contribute meaningful capacity building support

How can students support non-profits organizations through courses?
Rollins students may be able to help with:
• Program and event support
• Curriculum or workshop facilitation
• Research, data collection, surveys, and evaluation
• Communications, storytelling, and outreach
• Social media, websites, and digital content
• Operations, logistics, and administrative support
• Program design, improvement ideas, and strategy support
• Public education, advocacy, and civic engagement

Below are the 13 courses that faculty are interested in connecting with non-profits on:

Corporate Social Responsibility & Business Ethics (Business)
Focus: Ethical business practices, sustainability, and stakeholder decision making
Community Issues: Economic empowerment, workforce development, civic engagement
How Students Can Help: Program support, facilitation, communications, outreach, operations, new ideas
Best Fit Nonprofits: Workforce orgs, financial literacy programs, civic organizations, social enterprises
________________________________________
Business Statistics & Supply Chain Management (Business)
Focus: Data driven problem solving for real organizational challenges
Community Issues: Workforce readiness, food systems, operational efficiency
How Students Can Help: Data analysis, process improvement, logistics planning, evaluation, reporting
Best Fit Nonprofits: Food banks, workforce nonprofits, organizations needing data or operational support
________________________________________
Spanish Gastronomy Explosion (Global Languages & Cultures)
Focus: Language, culture, and food systems
Community Issues: Food insecurity, immigrant communities, sustainability
How Students Can Help: Event support, food programs, social media, outreach, storytelling
Best Fit Nonprofits: Food distribution programs, immigrant serving orgs, community kitchens
________________________________________
From Grounds to Goals: Colombian Culture in Motion (Global Languages)
Focus: Culture, identity, and social issues through a Colombian lens
Community Issues: Immigration, environmental justice, restorative practices
How Students Can Help: Community events, outreach, communications, facilitation support
Best Fit Nonprofits: Immigrant support orgs, cultural organizations, environmental justice groups
________________________________________
ENG 200: Working Dogs (English)
Focus: Human animal partnerships and public storytelling
Community Issues: Public health, mental health, social innovation
How Students Can Help: Interviews, digital storytelling, communications, outreach, public education
Best Fit Nonprofits: Service dog organizations, law enforcement or therapy dog programs
________________________________________
World Financial History (Economics)
Focus: Global economic systems and social change
Community Issues: Social innovation, arts as activism
How Students Can Help: Research, workshops, archiving, storytelling, facilitation
Best Fit Nonprofits: Cultural orgs, education nonprofits, social innovation initiatives
________________________________________
Thinking About Thinking (Psychology – Honors)
Focus: Metacognition, learning, and decision making
Community Issues: Literacy, STEM readiness, mentorship
How Students Can Help: Tutoring support, curriculum assistance, surveys, data analysis
Best Fit Nonprofits: Education nonprofits, mentoring programs, youth enrichment orgs
________________________________________
Tourism, Culture, and Community Impact (Global Languages & Cultures)
Focus: Tourism’s social and cultural impacts in Orlando
Community Issues: Housing, immigration, inequality, arts as activism
How Students Can Help: Storytelling, research, community outreach, materials development
Best Fit Nonprofits: Housing advocates, immigrant orgs, arts and cultural organizations
________________________________________
Sociology: Methods, Poverty, and Food Systems (Sociology)
Focus: Research methods applied to poverty and inequality
Community Issues: Housing insecurity, food systems, income inequality
How Students Can Help: Program evaluation, surveys, data analysis, operations, advocacy materials
Best Fit Nonprofits: Housing orgs, food justice groups, social service providers
________________________________________
Public Opinion & Survey Research (Political Science)
Focus: Public opinion, data collection, and civic engagement
Community Issues: Voter engagement, democratic participation
How Students Can Help: Survey design, data analysis, outreach, advocacy materials
Best Fit Nonprofits: Civic engagement orgs, advocacy groups, community coalitions
________________________________________
School Psychology (Psychology)
Focus: Applying psychology to educational settings
Community Issues: Educational equity, childhood development, mental health
How Students Can Help: Educational activities, youth programming, trauma informed support
Best Fit Nonprofits: Schools, after school programs, youth focused nonprofits
________________________________________
Beyond Cultural Relativity: Ethics in a Global World (International Programs)
Focus: Ethics, dialogue, and global social issues
Community Issues: Civic dialogue, immigration, social innovation
How Students Can Help: Public education, facilitation, communications, advocacy support
Best Fit Nonprofits: Dialogue initiatives, immigrant advocacy orgs, civic nonprofits
________________________________________
Race in Florida (Sociology)
Focus: Race, inequality, and social justice in Florida
Community Issues: Housing, public health equity, civic engagement
How Students Can Help: Research, storytelling, communications, advocacy, community education
Best Fit Nonprofits: Racial justice orgs, housing advocacy groups, cultural and civic organizations
________________________________________

If this opportunity aligns with your organization’s work, we would love to have you join us on Thursday, May 14 from 8:30–10:30 a.m. Breakfast will be provided.

** To help us prepare for the session and facilitate strong matches, we ask that interested partners RSVP via this link. Once you confirm your attendance, you will receive a follow-up form to complete a brief interest form. That form aligns with the attached example and invites you to share your organization’s mission, impact areas, and current unmet needs where student teams could add value.**

Please feel free to reach out with questions or let us know if you’d like to connect one on one ahead of the workshop.