Division of Community Engagement

2025-2026 Excellence in Community Engagement Award Nominees At Virginia Commonwealth University, community engagement is a living practice, carried forward each day by faculty, students, staff, and partners who dedicate themselves to meaningful collaboration beyond the classroom and the laboratory. Each year, the Division of Community Engagement recognizes those who exemplify this commitment through the Excellence […]

Division of Community Engagement | Virginia Commonwealth University Community engagement at VCU is a sustained orientation toward the communities that surround and support this university — one that requires consistency, intentionality, and the willingness to keep showing up. April 2026 reflected that orientation across every program and partnership area within DCE. This report captures the […]

Division of Community Engagement | Virginia Commonwealth University Community Engagement is a practice that requires sustained presence, reciprocal relationships, and a willingness to let community-identified needs shape the work. March 2026 offered a vivid illustration of what practice looks like across Richmond.  Community Partnerships and Collaboration New collaborations took root across Richmond, including, but not […]

February 2026 marked a month of strong growth in community partnerships, student engagement, and cross-sector collaboration across the Division of Community Engagement (DCE). Through strategic partnerships, experiential learning opportunities, and community-based programming, DCE continued to advance VCU’s commitment to thriving communities. Community Partnerships and CollaborationDCE expanded its partnership network on Collaboratory to include 295 community […]

Girls For A Change and the VCU School of Social Work, in partnership with the Mary and Frances Youth Center in the VCU Division of Community Engagement, will host Girls, Unlimited Book Talk: 100 Books for 100 Girls, featuring award-winning author, scholar, and advocate Dr. Monique Couvson. The event will center on Couvson’s new book, […]

Where Partnership Meets Purpose In January 2026, the Division of Community Engagement advanced VCU’s commitment to thriving communities through deepened partnerships, robust student and faculty engagement, and high-impact civic and community-based programming across Richmond. Through coordinated efforts spanning Civic Innovation, the Health Hub at 25th, and the Mary and Frances Youth Center (MFYC), the Division […]

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 […]

Virginia Commonwealth University and VCU Health System marked their first National Rural Health Day with a series of events designed to honor rural communities and elevate the growing rural health efforts across One VCU. Guided by an interdisciplinary planning committee, the celebration emphasized thoughtful reflection on how an urban institution can respectfully support and partner […]

In October 2025, VCU’s Division of Community Engagement (DCE) continued to advance the university’s Quest 2028 mission by strengthening partnerships, expanding faculty and student engagement, and deepening its impact across Richmond’s neighborhoods. From record-setting Connect 2025 momentum to expanded youth programming and increased participation at the Health Hub, October was a month defined by collaboration, […]

On November 14, 2026, the Division of Community Engagement hosted the Connect 2025 Community Engagement Conference, bringing together more than 170 participants from across Virginia Commonwealth University and the broader Richmond community. Guided by a 34-member planning committee, including 19 VCU representatives and 15 community partners, the event was intentionally co-created to foster meaningful dialogue, shared learning, and stronger collaborative […]