Youngstown State delegation showcases community engagement leadership at international conference

Youngstown State University faculty and staff shared innovative approaches to community-engaged teaching, scholarship and partnership development at the 2026 Engagement Scholarship Consortium Conference in Knoxville, Tennessee.

Five YSU representatives attended the international conference: Jenna Binsley-Smith of the Tressel Institute for Leadership and Teamwork; Presley Bowser and Alisha Dodge of the Sokolov Honors College; Amy Fluker, distinguished associate professor of history and chair of the Reeder Memorial Endowment in U.S. History; and Amy Weaver, professor in the Centofanti School of Nursing. Together, they contributed three presentations highlighting community-engaged learning, relationship-building strategies and community-based health initiatives.

One presentation, "Scaling Community-Engaged Learning: A Course-Based Model," explored how YSU has expanded community-engaged learning opportunities to support more than 300 students and 30 community partners within a single semester. The session examined strategies for coordinating projects, aligning student and community needs, supporting instructors and maintaining meaningful partnerships while scaling participation.

A second session, "From Symposium to Coffee Hour: Multi-Modal Convening for Community Engagement," focused on how YSU creates opportunities for faculty, staff, students and community partners to connect through a range of formal and informal engagement spaces. Presenters highlighted initiatives including YSU's Community Engagement Symposium, department-level faculty conversations and community coffee hours as tools for building relationships and cultivating long-term partnerships.

Amy Weaver presented "Engaging Nursing Students in Community-Driven Mobile Wellness Clinics," showcasing how YSU nursing students deliver screenings, health education and preventive services through pop-up mobile wellness clinics serving older adults throughout the Mahoning Valley. The initiative demonstrates the impact of community-engaged learning while addressing health disparities and improving access to care.

Beyond the conference presentations, YSU maintained an informational display highlighting experiential learning, community engagement and student success initiatives across campus. The display provided an opportunity to share YSU's engagement efforts with attendees from institutions and organizations throughout the United States and beyond.