Campus Community Companions

Campus Community Companions engages faculty members in interdisciplinary working groups for a year-long collaboration with a community-based organization to pursue outcomes that improve our current social reality and consciousness. 

Many Loyola faculty members are engaged with community organizations to support their research or personal commitments. Community-based organizations have a need for research to support evaluation, program planning, and advocacy. JSRI will provide one-on-one technical assistance to accompany faculty members and community-based organizations on a year-long partnership journey. 

Collaborations will relate to one or more of JSRI’s core issues; race, poverty and migration. Faculty and community leaders will create shared objectives which can be accomplished utilizing one or more of JSRI’s primary activities; research, education, advocacy, and service. Collaborations may take many forms but should engage both community members and Loyola students with the goal of bringing university resources to the community and community-resources to the campus. Preference will be given to Catholic social service organizations. 

Faculty members and community organizations commit to meet at least once a week, either remotely or in-person, and monthly in-person with JSRI Executive Director, Annie Phoenix. Faculty and community leaders will develop shared goals. JSRI will walk with leaders to offer guidance and support tailored to the project on topics such as: Catholic Social Teaching, partnership building, goal setting, evaluation, project management, asset-based community development, and grant-writing and fundraising. At the end of the year-long collaboration faculty members and community leaders will publicly present the outcomes of their work and future plans.