DCE November 2025 Impact Highlights
Building Community Through Connection, Health, and Service
In November, our Division continued to execute the core mission of community-engaged work: facilitating meaningful collaboration between VCU and community partners, while responding directly to the needs and aspirations of Richmond-area residents.
“We are all part of one community, one region, and ideally we just all want everyone here to thrive.” — Kristen Hott, PLANRVA, Connect Conference Attendee
At the heart of this month’s work was our CONNECT Conference, which convened students, faculty, nonprofit leaders, faith-based organizations, community residents, and public partners. Participants consistently noted that the most valuable aspect of the conference was the opportunity to connect with individuals outside their usual circles, a kind of bridging that reveals the power of university–community collaboration. One attendee commented, “I loved speaking with people I didn’t know. The networking felt intentional,” affirming a key goal set by this year’s planning committee. Beyond fostering connection, CONNECT served as a platform for examining mutual benefits and ethical research practices, particularly as emerging technologies, such as artificial intelligence, inform how scholars and community partners work together to generate and apply knowledge.
Complementing CONNECT, the month of November included VCU’s first observance and celebration of National Rural Health Day, as well as critical community give-back efforts.
Through campus–community partnerships, including the MFYC and Carver Elementary food drive, as well as the Health Hub’s collaboration with Deliverance Temple, we distributed food support to families, providing holiday meals to 22 households and more than 100 meals to community members ahead of Thanksgiving. A first-time Health Hub visitor reflected: “I didn’t know this place was for me. Now I know.” Such testimonies reflect how our efforts translated into meaningful access and dignity for community members.
November’s efforts reflect our strategic alignment with VCU’s Quest 2028, demonstrating our commitment to collaborating with communities to build adaptive infrastructure, advance authentic gains in health, education, and economic well-being, and create pathways that deliver tangible community benefit.
November 2025: Key Metrics and Outcomes across the Division of Community Engagement and its place-based sites: Mary and Frances Youth Center and Health Hub at 25th
- 16 new collaborations were established during November.
- 297 students engaged in internships, federal work study, volunteer roles, Student Engagement Council participation, student staff positions, and field placements.
- 37 faculty members contributed through research, program facilitation, advisory roles, and community-engaged scholarship participation.
- 24 distinct programs and events delivered, including CONNECT 2025, National Rural Health Day, youth programs, Parent Nights at the Mary and Frances Youth Center, and ongoing Health Hub offerings.
- 821 individuals reached, including youth, families, older adults, students, community partners, and residents across VCU and the greater Richmond community.
- 12 training sessions delivered; 15 participants engaged through advisory-board participation, Collaboratory trainings, and workshops.
November’s data reveal trends that highlight the depth and breadth of DCE’s impact. The Division expanded and diversified its community footprint across neighborhoods, civic spaces, health providers, schools, and faith-based networks, ensuring broad representation of community voices.
As we move forward, our shared commitment remains clear: to advance community-engagement, grounded in respect, rigor, and real-world impact.
This month, Collaboratory continued to evolve as a cornerstone of DCE’s emerging data infrastructure, supporting our long-term goal of fostering intentional collaboration across units and partners. With 317 activities already entered, the platform is becoming a robust repository of VCU’s community-engaged work- one that strengthens visibility, shared learning, and trust-building across the institution and with our community partners.
As we roll out the system, we are encouraging “data champions” and all faculty, staff, and students engaged in community-focused initiatives to add their activities. What makes Collaboratory particularly powerful is its ability to generate reports based on focus area, geography, population, partner type, and more. For example, a search for youth development immediately reveals the projects, units, partners, and individuals working in that space, surfacing interdisciplinary linkages and opportunities for greater coordination.
By centralizing engagement data and making it searchable, Collaboratory will help VCU align its work with community-identified needs, strengthen the narrative of institutional impact, and streamline reporting for accreditation, funding, and strategic planning.
Last Report for the Year
As this November report, released in December, reflects the depth of our work over the past month, we look forward to the new year with renewed alignment. MLK Week as our first major university-wide engagement of 2026, and continued opportunities to strengthen partnerships, advance community-engaged scholarship and research, and deepen VCU’s collective impact, the coming year is poised to be one of meaningful growth.
Happy Holiday and see you next year!
Division of Community Engagement
Office of the Provost
community.vcu.edu
[email protected]