Community Engagement, Skills, Employability Report - University Name

This report provides a comprehensive overview of community engagement, exploring its theoretical underpinnings, various types, and the skills required for effective practice. It delves into the core pillars of community engagement, including building connections, acting with humility, developing understanding, affirming dignity, and pursuing justice. The report examines how these pillars are achieved in practice and their impact on personal and professional development, particularly in enhancing employability. It discusses the complexities of building sustainable communities, the challenges faced by workers and volunteers, and the benefits of community engagement. The report also highlights the importance of social innovation, participatory evaluation, and the role of community in achieving positive outcomes. It concludes by emphasizing the significance of collaborative efforts, stakeholder involvement, and the empowerment of communities in achieving successful and impactful community engagement initiatives.

Running head: COMMUNITY ENGAGEMENT
COMMUNITY ENGAGEMENT
Name of the Student:
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Executive Summary
Community engagement can be viewed as a continuum of community involvement. Over time, a
particular collaboration has shown a propensity to progress along this continuum towards greater
community involvement. However, while community engagement is likely to be achieved during
a time limited project, it typically entails enduring partnerships that progress from the
conventional focus on an array of social, economic, political as well as environmental factors
that impact health. It has been noted that effective community engagement provides community
or organizations with a prospect of building local associations, improved relationships and
further recognize fundamental concerns and values and further boost participation and further
increase trust in organization as well as governance. With increasing number of communities of
place and communities of interest, the theory of change is primarily developed concerning
communities of place and further can be applied in communities of interest. The report has
comprehensively discussed about the factors of community engagement theory by focusing on its
pillars namely, building connections, and acting with humanity, developing understanding and
pursues justice. Additionally, it has provided explicit descriptions of types of community
engagement as well as approaches which have focused on project based community engagement
in addition to generalized idea of skills and challenges of workers and volunteers in community
engaged services.

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Table of Contents
Discussion........................................................................................................................................3
Community engagement theory with pillars of community engagement with 5 pillars..............3
Description of community engagement types, Complexities in building sustainable
communities and Approaches of Community Engagement........................................................5
Overview of the skills and challenges of workers and volunteers in community engaged
services........................................................................................................................................7
Benefits to personal and professional self-development and employability...............................8
Conclusion.......................................................................................................................................8
References......................................................................................................................................10

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Discussion
Community engagement theory with pillars of community engagement with 5 pillars
Ojha et al. (2016) have noted that diverse individuals define community in varied ways.
With increasing number of communities of place and communities of interest, the theory of
change is primarily developed concerning communities of place and further can be applied in
communities of interest.
Theory of Change - Furthermore, as per the view of Ojha et al. (2016) applying a Theory of
Change approach focuses on exploring the supposition of ways a range of elements of the
communities can be interconnected to provide improved outcomes in the society. Another pillar
of community engagement is to engage communities with humility which aids volunteers and
social service providers in reflecting on cultural divergences and similarities and further
approach other cultures with an inclination to learn and develop progressiveness instead of
depending on cultural generalizations as well as assumptions. Such a pillar will stimulate
volunteers and community service providers to comprehend the environment as well as history
of the communities they are engaged into. Kline et al. (2018) have argued that common public
service reform in the U.K are unable to attain success due to its failing design to accomplish that
neither markets nor centralised bureaucracies are effectual models for delivering public services
based on associations. However, on the other hand, several human service initiatives in Australia
has been seeking to improve outcomes in communities through person-focused approach and
understanding communities needs and requirements by understanding their aspirations, concerns
as well as values.

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Furthermore, studies of Lardier Jr et al. (2018) have revealed that volunteers in
community engaged services have been aiming to reduce the risk of depression within
communities from social isolation or conflict. Such a strategy can be aimed by following the
pillar of community engagement that is developing intrinsic connections with individuals and
providing social support. Moreover, on the other hand, several global humanitarian actors have
held the concept as well as discourse of offering dignity and respect in various forms. These
strategies as per Ojha et al. (2016) can be accomplished through mainstreaming, assimilation as
well as individual protection initiatives. Recently, to realize and address the complex
determinants involved in attaining safety as well as dignity for communities facing crisis
situations, volunteers tend to affirm dignity within communities. On the other hand, it has been
noted that volunteers working in community engaged services have been following the pillar of
providing justice to communities by promoting the competence to explore as well as realize
fundamental causes of community conflict and disengagement and further to engage in the active
encouragement of social or environmental justice principles as well as the resolution of
community-level injustices. However, according to Schlosberg, Collins and Niemeyer (2017),
the community social justice has been identified as the full as well as equal participation of all
communities in a society which has been mutually shaped to accomplish their needs.
Furthermore, authors have noted that pursuing justice within community engagement primarily
entails the sharing of goods amongst individuals as well as communities. Thus, the concept of
justice can be functional to essential human needs such as housing. Furthermore, Martin and
Bolliger (2018) have suggested that teaching for social justice tends to expand avenues to
successfully develop respect and dignity for individuals’ differences and identifying the way

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these divergences which might be informed by individuals’ associations with specific social
associations such as factors which based on race, ethnicity or class.
Description of community engagement types, Complexities in building sustainable
communities and Approaches of Community Engagement
Community engagement serves a vital role and comprises of a range of forms such as
Community Building which purposely develop connections within various communities,
community education which offers institutional services to educate public deprive of it and
economic growth that aims to develop the regional financial system in a sustainable approach
Direct Service along with projects which primarily aim to offer effective services or product to
an individual, group or the community as a whole. For example authors have noted that filling a
volunteer shift at a local organization or efficiently creating social media tools for an social
organization or forming a community fresco.
. Recently, Lardier Jr et al. (2018) have been observing the complexities and challenges
inherent in the process of establishing equitable and sustainable communities. The challenges
confronting this process have been compounded by the inter-relation between factors related to
poverty, education, discrimination in addition to unemployment. At this juncture, Sandmann,
Saltmarsh and O’Meara (2019) have noted that social innovation plays a decisive role in dealing
with challenges in offering equal educational services to all communities have been encountering
across the globe. While the concept of service has been viewed as one of the three pillars of
higher education, such inventiveness drive the envelope of community engagement further than
volunteerism in order to set in the values and principles of social innovation in order to
reorganize the association between higher education and its community. Comprehensive studies

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of Kline et al. (2018) have noted that, social innovation mainly includes innovative, community-
operated development which tends to seek societal issues as well as challenges. The associations
and collaborations which materialize through the processes and products of social innovation
primarily depend on the level and temperament of engagement amongst varied stakeholder
groups.
Rosenthal (2016) has claimed that communities are likely to serve an important role in
the institution, implementation as well as understanding of social innovation. As a result, critical
discussion on the nature of social innovation as well as engagement and the connection between
these two imperative concepts which is identified as an indispensable factor for developing
responsiveness of prospective community practices in these interconnecting areas. Such
interrelated communities have been efficiently contributing to solutions for community
happiness and social consistency (Lardier Jr et al. 2018). At this point of discussion it is
important to note that organisational, management as well as governance practices with
procedures are critical in establishing sincere communication networks amongst the stakeholder
groups that include the broader community (Sandmann, Saltmarsh and O’Meara 2019).
However, Brunton et al. (2017) has noted that as social innovation has been regarded as a vital
mechanism of transformation and change, particular needs, requirements in addition to social
problems require be solved by merging new and obtainable practises. At this juncture, innovation
has been related to community engagement practices as newly developed social practices-
practises that shed light on concepts, policy mechanisms in addition to new forms of
collaboration and organisation. Drawing relevance to these factors, Schlosberg, Collins and
Niemeyer (2017) have noted that social innovation principles have the prospective in order to
change the understanding of knowledge shift beyond the customary higher education-industry

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corporation. Meanwhile, Goold et al. (2016) have mentioned that an integrated solution for social
innovation mainly necessitates human centred approach and thus inevitably initiates by
recognizing the involvement of community and stakeholders.
Overview of the skills and challenges of workers and volunteers in community
engaged services
Community engaged service providers or volunteers often tend to encounter challenges in
ensuring representativeness and further ensuring that voices of the deprived will be heard.
However, Saprii et al. (2015) have indicated that, not all volunteers can engage in programs to
the same extent and various interventions dynamically engage only a small number of
communities. For example, one community school initiative in NSW has mandated that the
school committees should include only three women and two men, one of whom has been
identified as a member of the chief, local assembly or women’s organization. Such a restricted
involvement of representatives has led the local communities of NSW to distrust the ability of
community engaged workers working in that region. Thus, for these members to act as
representatives of the broader community it is essential to be elected or properly recognized and
further have its interests at the core. On the other hand, workers and volunteers in community
engaged services have the propensity to get cynical if the community engagement process fails to
accomplish desired outcomes that tends to reveal their contribution (Ebersöhn et al. 2015). Thus,
at this juncture it is essential for them to incorporate their utmost commitment to the progression
and enthusiasm and act responsive to the decision.
However, on the other hand, Saprii et al. (2015) have noted that community engagement
essentially necessitates an understanding of empowerment educational theoretical perspectives.

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Furthermore, on the basis of the purpose of the theories of empowerment educators such as Paulo
Friere, facilitation develops as an act of independence and equity for the community. However,
accurate facilitation outlines a deferential process which mainly facilitates individuals to
innovatively create solutions and meanwhile in the process expand communal conviction, respect
in addition to a sense of community. Furthermore, community engagement sheds light on an
instinctive understanding of participatory evaluation theories (Kline et al. 2018). Thus,
efficiently realizing participatory evaluation theories will aid community engaged workers to
obtain in-depth admiration and understanding of the outcomes planning instead of focusing on
means-planning.
Benefits to personal and professional self-development and employability
Furthermore, it is essential to note that volunteering in community engaged services will
not only enhance individual’s level of self-confidence but will further purposely provide a strong
improvement to individual’s life satisfaction. Lastly, at a professional level volunteering for
community engagement and engaging into service events can be applied as an effective way to
advocate for communal and social causes.
Conclusion
Therefore, from the above discussion it can be concluded that organizational as well as
government representatives require extending the process through which communities perceive
their responsibilities in order to involve roles as facilitator, enthusiast, and representative and
further empower of communities as well as stakeholders. Thus several citizens have been getting
'engaged' while they play a significant role in the planning, deliberations, management as well as
achievement and execution of projects or programs affecting them. However it is important to

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note that while all stakeholders are significant in developments, communities have been playing
a very innermost and exceptional role. As a result a successful project has been essentially
regarded as a collaborative and shared affair with prevalent advocacy, support as well as
involvement from the local community. Thus, workers engaged in community services have the
ability to provide essential information regarding the project that will facilitate the team plan.

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References
Brunton, G., Thomas, J., O’Mara-Eves, A., Jamal, F., Oliver, S. and Kavanagh, J., 2017.
Narratives of community engagement: a systematic review-derived conceptual framework for
public health interventions. BMC public health, 17(1), p.944.
Ebersöhn, L., Loots, T., Eloff, I. and Ferreira, R., 2015. Taking note of obstacles research
partners negotiate in long-term higher education community engagement partnerships. Teaching
and Teacher Education, 45, pp.59-72.
Goold, S.D., Rowe, Z., Szymecko, L., Coombe, C., Danis, M., Hammad, A., Calhoun, K. and
Salman, C., 2016. The State as Community in Community-Based Participatory
Research. Progress in community health partnerships: research, education, and action, 10(4),
p.515.
Kline, C., Asadian, W., Godolphin, W., Graham, S., Hewitt, C. and Towle, A., 2018. From
“Academic Projectitis” to Partnership: Community Perspectives for Authentic Community
Engagement in Health Professional Education. Engaged Scholar Journal: Community-Engaged
Research, Teaching, and Learning, 4(1), pp.79-96.
Lardier Jr, D.T., Barrios, V.R., Garcia-Reid, P. and Reid, R.J., 2018. Preventing substance use
among Hispanic urban youth: Valuing the role of family, social support networks, school
importance, and community engagement. Journal of Child & Adolescent Substance Abuse, pp.1-
13.

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MacQueen, K.M., Bhan, A., Frohlich, J., Holzer, J. and Sugarman, J., 2015. Evaluating
community engagement in global health research: the need for metrics. BMC medical
ethics, 16(1), p.44.
Martin, F. and Bolliger, D.U., 2018. Engagement matters: Student perceptions on the importance
of engagement strategies in the online learning environment. Online Learning, 22(1), pp.205-
222.
Ojha, H.R., Ford, R., Keenan, R.J., Race, D., Vega, D.C., Baral, H. and Sapkota, P., 2016.
Delocalizing communities: Changing forms of community engagement in natural resources
governance. World Development, 87, pp.274-290.
Rosenthal, L., 2016. Incorporating intersectionality into psychology: An opportunity to promote
social justice and equity. American Psychologist, 71(6), p.474.
Sandmann, L.R., Saltmarsh, J. and O’Meara, K., 2019. An integrated model for advancing the
scholarship of engagement. Building the Field of Higher Education Engagement: Foundational
Ideas and Future Directions.
Saprii, L., Richards, E., Kokho, P. and Theobald, S., 2015. Community health workers in rural
India: analysing the opportunities and challenges Accredited Social Health Activists (ASHAs)
face in realising their multiple roles. Human resources for health, 13(1), p.95.
Schlosberg, D., Collins, L.B. and Niemeyer, S., 2017. Adaptation policy and community
discourse: risk, vulnerability, and just transformation. Environmental Politics, 26(3), pp.413-437.