UNO Announces Second Round of Engagement Partners

Omaha – The University of Nebraska at Omaha (UNO) is proud to announce its second set of partner organizations that will be housed in the university’s Community Engagement Center (CEC), opening in spring of 2014.

Five organizations - two from UNO and three from the community – were selected to be to be partners in the CEC’s growing partnership space.

The organizations selected are:

Spirituality, Public Health and Religious Studies (SPHRS); The Social Media Lab for Research and Engagement; Nebraskans for Civic Reform (NCR); Omaha Public Library; and WhyArts?.

The five new members will join 15 other community organizations, which were selected in November, as tenants of the CEC. Organizations already selected include organizations like Omaha By Design, Nebraska Shakespeare Festival and UNO’s Office of Latino/Latin American Studies (OLLAS).

For a full list of the partners selected in November, please click here.

As partners in the CEC, these organizations will have access to UNO resources such as its nationally recognized Service Learning Academy, its Office of Civic and Social Responsibility and student leadership programs with a focus on nonprofit capacity building, technical assistance resources and campus life.

“This second round of partners brings additional diversity, expertise, and purpose to the CEC” said Sara Woods, assistant to the senior vice chancellor for community engagement at UNO. “Not only are they a great fit for the center, but each organization will enrich student learning, collaborations, and community impact.”

The mission of the UNO CEC is to contribute positively and measurably to the community’s quality of life by creating, supporting and expanding mutually beneficial partnerships, engaged scholarship as well as academic and student programming that create tomorrow’s leaders and agents of change.

The selection process consisted of an initial written application, followed by interviews with committee composed of community and university representatives. The committee made formal recommendations to senior leadership at UNO, who made the final decision for the first round of residents.

For more information, please contact Charley Reed, UNO media relations coordinator, at unonews@unomaha.edu or by phone at 402.554.2129.

Those interested can also find more information at the UNO CEC website: http://www.unomaha.edu/community-engagement-center/

SPHRS (Spirituality, Public Health and Religious Studies)
This project of the UNO Department of Religious Studies supports and helps to coordinate a variety of partnerships, initiatives and activities at UNO, UNMC and in local and global communities. SPHRS operates as an umbrella organization focused on spirituality, wellness, and/or religious/cultural diversity that connects faculty, students, administrators and community members; provides resources and expertise to support these people and their projects; increases opportunities for learning; and creates and supports internships and placements for students at the local, regional, national and international levels.

The Social Media Lab for Research and Engagement
This UNO-based organization, a collaboration of the College of Communication, Fine Arts, and Media (CFAM) - School of Communication, the College of Information Sciences and Technology (IS&T) and others across campus will provide consultation services to scholars, students and community partners on projects across disciplines when they involve forms of socialized computer-mediated communication; events and educational courses and workshops to serve both UNO faculty/staff/students and extended community partners; and cutting edge research related to the use of social media and spans across issues and disciplines.

Nebraskans for Civic Reform (NCR)
A non-profit, non-partisan organization, NCR is composed of dedicated and politically diverse young Nebraskan professionals who are committed to making civic institutions more inclusive among youth and historically disadvantaged, and disengaged, populations. NCR achieves this by working to protect voting rights; research of policies that make elections more accessible; providing community engagement and job readiness services for returning veterans; and strengthening K­12 civic education and engagement in the community.

The Omaha Public Library
Established in 1872 and with 12 branches in the Omaha area, OPL will house its Community Engagement team in the CEC. Rather than focusing their time in the libraries, this team now spends much of it time around the metro, seeking out organizations who can benefit from the library’s services, resources and staff in improving their work. These efforts extend far beyond the more visible public library role as a more passive provider of resources. By housing the team in the CEC, OPL will develop new partnerships and enhance existing relationships.

WhyArts?
This organization assures that the visual and performing arts experiences are open to people of all ages, backgrounds and abilities. Access to the arts is achieved when all people have equal opportunity to attend, participate and learn through arts experiences. WhyArts? contracts with local professional artists who lead experiential workshops within organizations serving underserved populations with special emphasis on serving those with physical and mental disabilities, the older adult population and at-risk populations.

About the University of Nebraska at Omaha

Located in one of America’s best cities to live, work and learn, the University of Nebraska at Omaha (UNO) is Nebraska’s premier metropolitan university. With more than 15,000 students enrolled in 200-plus programs of study, UNO is recognized nationally for its online education, graduate education, military friendliness and community engagement efforts. Founded in 1908, UNO has served learners of all backgrounds for more than 100 years and is dedicated to another century of excellence both in the classroom and in the community.

Become a fan of UNO on Facebook: www.facebook.com/unomaha and follow UNO's Twitter updates at http://twitter.com/unomaha.