Frequently Asked Questions
- What does P-20 engagement mean?
- What are the benefits of joining the Center’s P-20 Network?
- What does the Center for P-20 Engagement do?
- Are there resources that I can use to begin a project?
- How do I form a partnership with a community agency?
- How should a community agency, business, or school go about forming a partnership with NIU experts?
- How do I set up a dialogue with others who might be interested?
- Does the Center make travel money available to P-20 Network members?
- Will affiliating with the P-20 Network help me get grants?
- Who gets the credit if I get a grant after using your services?
- Does the Center host conferences, workshops, or professional development?
- How does the Center for P-20 Engagement relate to association groups and services like the Illinois City Managers Association or the Associations Resource Center?
- How is the Center funded?
- Do P-20 Network members give up intellectual property rights to their work by participating?
- What does engagement mean to NIU faculty and staff as individuals?
- How do students benefit from engagement?
- How does the community benefit from NIU's outreach and engagement activities?
- As a community member, how do I find resources at NIU?
1. What does P-20 engagement mean?
“P-20” refers to education and training at all levels – pre-school through graduate studies – in schools, community colleges, workplaces, and other community settings.
The Carnegie Foundation, which awarded NIU the classification for Community Engagement, defines it this way: “Engagement describes the collaboration between higher education institutions and their larger communities (local, regional/state, national, global) for the mutually beneficial exchange of knowledge and resources in a context of partnership and reciprocity.”
Put more simply, “P-20 engagement” means building mutually beneficial relationships related to education and training at all levels. “Engaged” partners learn together, discover new knowledge, and enjoy benefits that include meeting community needs, increased economic vitality, and improved quality of life across the region.
2. What are the benefits of joining the Center’s P-20 Network?
The P-20 Network exists to connect faculty, students, professionals and employers with matches for mutually beneficial partnerships, civic engagement, service learning opportunities, and internships.
The P-20 Network itself is an association of members who meet several times a year to discuss ideas; save time and energy by sharing expertise and connections; share logistical, how-to information on working with state agencies, external funders, or other institutions; and find collegial relationships. Members will increase their chances of success through the connections and background knowledge they find in the P-20 Network.
Join the P-20 Network if you are looking for a school, district, or community college that is willing to participate in your activity, an NIU team that can address workforce development needs in your industry, a site for a project, or another referral.
- How do I get involved?
Complete the P-20 Network form.
- Will someone contact me?
Yes. When you submit the P-20 Network form, you will receive an immediate confirmation. Within the next day or so, you will receive a personal email or phone call to follow up on your interests.
3. What does the Center for P-20 Engagement do?
The Center will be starting up in 2009-10 and will work with faculty, staff, and partners to create an organization that serves their needs. Discussions with administrators and faculty so far resulted in suggestions that the Center organize its work around three strategies.
- Facilitate a P-20 Network of volunteers from NIU and across the region
The P-20 Network exists to connect faculty, students, professionals, and employers with matches for mutually beneficial partnerships, civic engagement, service learning opportunities, and internships.
- Promote NIU’s leadership in building mutually beneficial P-20 partnerships in regional, national, and international arenas
Participation in national conferences, multi-media activities, and use of web-based tools for collaboration will increase NIU’s partnership and engagement skills. The Center will disseminate research and information affecting institutions of higher education as well as partners in engagement.
- Manage a portfolio of P-20 initiatives and deliver services to support P-20 projects
The Center will help to build a university-wide database of engagement opportunities and information that is accessible to both NIU personnel and external partners. Using the online database and their own connections, Center staff will help to link faculty scholars with needs in the field, convene dialogues among potential partners, and work with P-20 Network members to develop and disseminate best practices and models. In addition to managing activities funded by NIU’s strategic planning process, the Center will offer services such as project management, identity development, marketing, and grant proposal development support.
4. Are there resources that I can use to begin a project?
Yes. Here are some of the resources the Center can offer or help you to locate:
- Market research to determine needs and interests
- A place to brainstorm ideas
- Facilitation for meetings and project planning
- Background information about partners and locations
- List of possible resources such as seed money and grant opportunities
- Connections to interested districts and employers
- Referrals to people with similar interests, research, or practice
- Identity development and marketing support
5. How do I form a partnership with a community agency?
The Center works with other units at NIU to develop background information on potential partners. Through the P-20 Network, the Center will offer workshops and coaching to enhance partnering skills. Complete the P-20 Network form to let us know what you are looking for.
6. How should a community agency, business, or school go about forming a partnership with NIU experts?
Complete the P-20 Network form and submit it. Within six months, we hope to offer an interactive, online database of experts and opportunities. It will provide a good place to start.
7. How do I set up a dialogue with others who might be interested?
Start by filling out the P-20 Network form. The Center for P-20 Engagement staff will help you to identify potential participants and provide facilitation on request.
8. Does the Center make travel money available to P-20 Network members?
The Center does not have a travel budget, but we can attempt to connect you with travel
money.
9. Will affiliating with the P-20 Network help me get grants?
Potentially, yes. We can help you locate like-minded colleagues and external partners. Being part of an interdisciplinary group can enhance your grant proposal.
10. Who gets the credit if I get a grant after using your services?
You do. The Center provides support, facilitation, and coordination. We like to be thanked when we help you, but we are not seeking credit.
11. Does the Center host conferences, workshops, or professional development?
Yes. The Center will host a variety of professional development activities. We welcome suggestions for meetings to promote faculty initiatives, research expertise, and model practices centered on books, ideas, and innovative projects.
12. How does the Center for P-20 Engagement relate to association groups and services like the Illinois City Managers Association or the Associations Resource Center?
The Center is willing to host meetings, partner with associations, and help the Associations Resource Center provide connections to university expertise and resources.
13. How is the Center funded?
NIU strategic planning funds support this organization. We also depend on the efforts and good will of those who collaborate on Center activities.
14. Do P-20 Network members give up intellectual property rights to their work by participating?
The Center and its staff do not hold intellectual property rights which are, in fact, retained by individual scholars.
15. What does engagement mean to NIU faculty and staff as individuals?
Here is how Ohio State's Office of Research and Engagement answers this question:
“If you are engaged—
- You are working collaboratively with an organization, colleague, or entity OUTSIDE the academic community. Examples of this may include working with teachers in a K-12 school, a community group, a governmental agency, or a professional from your discipline.
- You are bringing your disciplinary expertise to this partnership. Your knowledge as a faculty, staff, or student of The Ohio State University contributes to the partnership.
- This work is a part of your research, teaching, and/or service. You are helping to make what you discovered through research useful, you are creating learning opportunities for citizens in off-campus environments, or you are providing a discipline-related service to the community.
- Each partner respects the contributions of and learns from the other(s).
- Every partnership is unique and based on the needs of the partners. There is not a single way to be engaged.” (The Ohio State University, Office of University Outreach and Engagement)
16. How do students benefit from engagement?
“Close partnerships with the surrounding community help demonstrate that higher education is about important values such as informed citizenship and a sense of responsibility. The newer forms of public scholarship and community-based learning help produce civic-minded graduates who are as well prepared to take up the complex problems of our society as they are to succeed in their careers.” (The Kellogg Commission, 1999, p. 13).
We like Ohio State's response on this question: “Student benefits include—
- The opportunity to link theory to practice and apply learning in community contexts
- Access to research, new knowledge, internships, and various kinds of off-campus learning opportunities
- An enhanced sense of civic responsibility
- Personal, interpersonal, and leadership development
- An appreciation for diversity
- Deeper understanding of subject fields and problem-solving ability
- Practical opportunities to prepare for the world and careers they will enter”
(The Ohio State University, Office of University Outreach and Engagement)
17. How does the community benefit from NIU's outreach and engagement activities?
NIU and the colleges in the region can bring experts and resources to the complex issues facing our communities. The Center for P-20 Engagement assembles teams from multiple disciplines, often composed of both faculty and students. In addition to making your community a better place to live, you will be training the leaders of tomorrow how to apply their academic knowledge to solve real-world problems.
18. As a community member, how do I find resources at NIU?
- Get an overview of NIU’s activities and resources for the community
- Tell us about issues that represent needs for both your community and NIU
- Use the Engagement Database (coming soon) to search for projects that might meet your needs
- Join the P-20 Network. Staff members from the Center for P-20 Engagement will contact you.
