Community Engagement Awards honor exceptional people, projects
By Ashlee McGandy, Einhorn Center for Community Engagement
Collaboration was the theme of the evening at the second annual Community Engagement Awards, held April 16 in the Statler Hotel Ballroom. Hosted by the Einhorn Center for Community Engagement, the event celebrated excellence in local and global university-community partnerships.
“Nearly 80% of this year’s graduating seniors have participated in community-engaged learning. This impressive reach takes the dedication of thousands of faculty, staff, Cornell senior leaders, community partners and fellow students,” said Basil Safi, executive director of the Einhorn Center. “It’s an honor to take the time to celebrate the large family that make up community-engaged learning at Cornell.”
Keynote speaker Diane Cohen, chief executive officer at Finger Lakes ReUse, shared the rich and varied partnerships with Cornell that have helped advance the organization’s mission. These span more than 60 research projects, including participation in the Circularity, Reuse and Zero Waste Development (CR0WD) partner network; working with A Seat at the Table, Cornell’s business ethics student organization; hiring Cornell students through the Community Work-Study Program; and hosting student organizations for service days.