Rutgers SPAA Course Takes a Hands-On Approach to Community Engagement

This past spring, Rutgers SPAA students had another exciting opportunity to take a hands-on approach to public service and community engagement through the course "Building Bridges to the Community." The undergraduate course, taught by Dr. Diane Hill, assistant professor of professional practice at SPAA and assistant chancellor of University-Community Partnerships at Rutgers-Newark, is open to juniors and seniors and focuses on giving students the tools and experience needed to form and maintain meaningful partnerships with community organizations while also addressing real-world issues.

Throughout the semester, students explored the different foundations of community engagement and studied how institutions, especially universities, play a strong role in creating healthy, sustainable partnerships. An important part of the curriculum is the Transdisciplinary Intergenerational Community Engagement Model (TICEM) which describes collaboration across generations and sectors. Students also completed The Citizens Campaign “Leadership and No-Blame Problem Solving” certification, which provides additional training for conflict resolution in community settings.

The class featured guest community lecturers from professionals across the greater Newark area, allowing students the chance to directly connect with experts and protentional community partners. Students partnered with a local organization to identify a specific community need and design a project aimed at addressing it. The experience encouraged students to apply classroom knowledge in real time, and eventually develop skills in research, collaboration, and civic responsibility.

At the end of the semester, students presented their final projects to faculty and staff, community partners, and peers. Each project tackled a unique issue and offered solutions which were rooted in both academic study and experiences from the community.

Student projects included:

• “Assessing the Needs of the Aging Population” by Cameron Pearson, Destiny Williams, and Hyojun Ahn with Dr. Mary Dawkins, Director, Hillside Township Senior Center
• “Women’s Reentry: A collaborative effort between Communities in Cooperation, Inc. (CIC), Sisters in Transitioning and Reintegrating Together (S.T.A.R.T.), and Rutgers-Newark’s School of Public Affairs and Administration (RU-N SPAA)” by Patrick Pantusco, Arron Wheeler, Yasin Atwoods, and Abigail Geronimo with Rev. Dr. Pamela Jones, Director, CIC
• “Tomorrows Children’s Fund Partnership” by Cassandra Izquierdo with Nan Norbitz Kelly, Executive Director, Tomorrows Children’s Fund
• “Building Community Bridges: Workforce Housing” by Mariama Sow, Syed Mohsin, Jose Santiago, and Sabian Lourenco with Michelle Curry, Director of Educational Partnerships and Professional Development HBCU/MSIs and School Districts, The Citizens Campaign

Students reflected on their experience:

Kerly Zeas Rueda

“My major is public and nonprofit administration. I am currently in the BA/MPA program and will be starting my MPA in Spring 2026. I enjoy my fields of study because I want to be able to help my community and create a difference in society. Being a teaching assistant (TA) and being in this class has helped me a lot because it has helped me make connections with many different organizations and people, ones that fit in to my area of study and what I want to do. It gave me the opportunity to connect with a lot of wonderful people who I know will help me create a difference in society. What I liked the most about the class were the students. They were wonderful and were always engaged in discussions and the class. The assignments and the book of the class were also great because it helped the students know how they can create connections to build a difference in society. I was able to learn a lot about organizations that I have never known about before and I was also able to learn a lot about the students and their passions in life.”

Arron Wheeler

“The building community bridges class was one of my favorite classes that I have taken. Seeing how everyone was able to engage with the cause that they were working on was fulfilling. Community work is my passion and learning more about it only gave me more inspiration to pursue a career in the field of nonprofit management. Being able to work hands-on with someone who is already doing the work makes you feel like you are a part of the process. All of the information that I received in the class I can see myself using in real time in real life. I would love another opportunity to work on a project with someone in the nonprofit sector. While my passion is in the area of youth development, my overall passion is to make a real difference in the community that I come from by elevating the lives of the people. Having a class that you learn while also practicing your craft is a wonderful concept."

Cassandra Izquierdo

“Taking this course was the best decision I could have made as an undergraduate student within the School of Public Affairs and Administration. It gave me valuable experience and knowledge that will benefit me in my career in fundraising and nonprofit development. I've learned so much about community engagement and the rich history of Newark. 

Destiny Williams

“The building community bridges course was very exciting, and I have made amazing connections with classmates, professors, and organization leaders. I will take what I have learned over this semester with me for the rest of my life.”