WYOMISSING, Pa. — On April 17, Penn State Berks hosted a Student and Community Engagement Symposium focused on fostering collaboration and positive impact through community-based student engagement and engaged scholarship. The daylong event convened faculty, staff, administrators and community members from throughout the region.
The symposium was organized by Mahsa Kazempour, associate professor of science education and chair of the sustainability council at Penn State Berks. Kazempour, who was selected as the 2022-24 Penn State Engagement Faculty Academy Scholar, said that she organized the symposium as a culmination of her two-year funded project.
“Over the years, I have worked with numerous individuals and groups on our campus and in the local community who coordinate and engage in meaningful and valuable projects, but we often find ourselves working in isolation and not aware of possible connections,” Kazempour explained. “I planned this symposium to foster collaboration and discussion — to break away from the sense of working in silos and build bridges instead. Furthermore, it was meant to promote community engagement and engaged scholarship by allowing attendees to connect with peers, share projects and experiences, and explore innovative approaches and ideas.”
The symposium drew about 100 people from diverse entities such as school districts, universities, and state and local organizations. Presenters covered a variety of engagement topics, including removing invasive plants and planting native species, developing campus and urban gardens, furthering climate resiliency in the city of Reading, and using school-university partnerships to foster best practices in teaching race, representation and equity.
“My hope, echoed by many of the attendees, is that this event will serve as a first step to future opportunities for discussion, cross-collaboration, and expanding and strengthening student and community engagement initiatives,” Kazempour added.
The event also featured a poster session highlighting students’ community-based service-learning projects.
“Young people are concerned with the impacts of social environmental issues and are eager to act, if given the opportunity to do so,” said Kazempour. “My goal with the Environmental Awareness and Community Action Project (EACAP) has been to engage undergraduate students in working collaboratively to research environmental issues, participate in community-based projects with local organizations, and raise public awareness by showcasing and presenting their projects and experiences using the project webpage and at poster sessions that are always open to the campus and the larger community. Engaging in such projects and sharing their experiences with others through public forums provides students with a sense of empowerment, enhanced understanding of their impact, and a greater motivation and willingness to engage in such actions and encourage others to similarly act.”
Kazempour, who was honored as the Pennsylvania Environmental Resource Consortium (PERC) Campus Sustainability Champion in 2023, has spearheaded numerous sustainability initiatives at the Berks campus. Ilona Ballreich, director of the Sustainable Communities Collaborative at Penn State Sustainability, said that this event illustrated the creative, cooperative approach Kazempour has brought to sustainability leadership throughout her career.
“Mahsa's event evidenced of her deep understanding and commitment to community," said Ballreich. “Participants learned from and with each other, and the format replicated a community network with representation of many stakeholders. Inspiring!”
Michael Zeman, director of the Student Engagement Network, also traveled from University Park to attend the symposium.
"This event was a transformative experience, showcasing the power of collaboration, innovation, and community engagement,” Zeman said. “It exemplified the essence of what the Engagement Academy Scholar seeks to foster: a platform where educators can come together, exchange ideas, and harness collective potential to drive positive change. This event served as a moment of inspiration, demonstrating the projects that arise when passionate individuals unite to advance the educational landscape."
On May 14, the Student Engagement Network will host a Student Engagement Summit at University Park to highlight and galvanize similar connections.
"The symposium at Berks sets the stage for the summit by embodying the core principles of collaboration and innovation,” said Zeman. “By embracing the spirit of partnership showcased at Berks, we pave the way for meaningful dialogue and strategies to enhance student engagement across our University community."
The 2024 Student Engagement Summit will be held on Tuesday, May 14, with virtual and in-person options available. Registration is free and open to Penn State faculty, staff and graduate students through May 13. For more information, please contact Michael Zeman at mjz120@psu.edu.