Emphasis on Engaging

A newly reopened Office of Community Engagement helps Eagles help others.

This fall, Eastern celebrated the reopening of its Office of Community Engagement, reviving a campus resource that had been shuttered for nearly four years.

The office, located on the first floor of Showalter Hall, will function as a hub for student volunteerism, service-learning and internships. The October event, which drew a number of current and potential community partners, marked the office’s official return to campus life.

“There’s definitely a lot of potential to build deep connections with our local community here — and people are ready for it — both on campus and off campus,” said Mark Este, newly appointed director of the office. “Hopefully we can just get in there and be that bridge for all the great work that is already being done.”

The revitalized engagement office, Este adds, focuses on three key areas: volunteerism, service-learning and internships — all experiences that will “benefit students while helping the larger community.”
This will require maintaining and sometimes reestablishing partnerships with local and regional businesses, government agencies and nonprofit organizations. The ultimate goal, Este says, is to create pathways for students to gain experience as they work to address those groups’ needs.

In her remarks during the event, Shari McMahan, Eastern’s president, said the reopening reflects the university’s role at the center of our region’s intellectual and economic life. “This is what we do; we are an anchor institution. We are tied to our community,” McMahan said.