Community Campus Engage Canada (CCE Canada) operates under the umbrella of the Trent Centre for Community-Based Education (TCCBE), which is based in Haliburton County, Ontario, and has an extended history of supporting community-driven community-campus engagement efforts.
What is community-campus engagement (CCE)?
Community-campus engagement (CCE) happens when communities and universities/colleges address critical community issues through collaborative research, learning and creative projects.
Growing connections, capacity and infrastructure for CCE across Canada
CCE Canada is building a robust network and community of practice for participants in community-campus partnerships. We aim to break down silos, build understanding and inspire new relationships across regions and sectors. Through peer-to-peer support, members build on the knowledge and experience of others without having to ‘reinvent the CCE wheel’.
What is a community of practice?
A community of practice (CoP) is a group where members regularly come together to exchange and co-develop knowledge, ideas and activities around a common interest or concern.
Our focus on community-driven partnerships is reflected in the values articulated in the CCEC Strategic Plan, which emphasizes knowledge diversity, co-governance and applying principles of Reconciliation throughout all of our work.
View CCE Canada’s strategic plan
Learn about the history of CCE Canada
The distinct value Community Campus Engage Canada offers to members
Within our community of practice we support a variety of spaces for members to connect, learn, collaborate and innovate to address social and environmental concerns in their communities.
As we enhance our services over the coming months, Community Campus Engage Canada will offer ‘one stop’ access to an extensive selection of existing resources and initiatives from across the national CCE landscape, and fill gaps by:
- Building capacity for CCE collaborators and saving time in their efforts by offering: a database of existing CCE resources (e.g. articles, best practice guides, evaluation tools), virtual and in-person spaces for members to discuss lessons learned or share data from CCE efforts, and notice boards in our monthly newsletters about upcoming CCE events or opportunities for funding or student/volunteer assistance.
- Supporting active participation from a wide range of participants in CCE, including: individual CCE champions and brokers in community-campus engagement offices, members of community-based organizations including Indigenous communities and organizations, and students.
- Making it easier for community- and campus-based collaborators to connect, through: the CCE Canada member directory and map, member profiles and project case studies in our newsletters, and informal discussion sessions where members can introduce themselves and learn more about local and national initiatives and research needs.
- Supporting collective advocacy to enhance resources and support for CCE in Canada, around issues such as: broader access to CCE funding for communities, reduced administrative hurdles for participants in CCE projects, responsive tenure and promotion standards for engaged faculty, and more CCE courses for students.