The Center for Community Partnerships at UVA

05/14/2026

Last week, the Center for Community Partnerships partnered with the City of Charlottesville, Va - Government to host “Dinner, Dialogue & Data: A Community Dialogue on Economic Mobility and Opportunity” at Carver Recreation Center.

Community members gathered over dinner from Afghan Kabob Cville to engage in thoughtful conversation about what economic crisis, instability, mobility, and stability look and feel like in Charlottesville. Together, participants explored local data on housing costs, financial security, and economic mobility while sharing their own lived experiences, hopes, and ideas for a more thriving community.

We were grateful to welcome a room full of attendees, including families who utilized the childcare support offered during the session, and to create space for meaningful dialogue across experiences.

Thank you to everyone who joined us, shared their perspectives, and helped shape this important conversation about opportunity and economic well-being in our community.

Learn more about economic security in Charlottesville here: https://communitypartnerships.github.io/community-wellbeing/charlottesville-key-outcomes.html -standard-of-living-economic-security-and-housing-profile

For information on economic security in Albemarle County, click here: https://communitypartnerships.github.io/community-wellbeing/albemarle-key-outcomes.html

04/28/2026

We’re looking forward to seeing you for a great evening of dinner, data, and dialogue about financial stability in our community. See you there!

Join us for an evening of conversation and connection!

The City of Charlottesville, in partnership with The Center for Community Partnerships at UVA, invites you to Dinner, Dialogue, and Data: Economic Mobility and Opportunity on Thursday, May 7 from 5:30–7:30 PM at Carver Recreation Center (233 4th Street NW).

Enjoy a free meal while reviewing key data on economic mobility in Charlottesville and sharing your ideas for a stronger, more inclusive future. This community dialogue is part of the City’s ongoing work to shape a community-informed strategy that expands opportunity for all.

Need childcare, translation services, or other accommodations? Contact [email protected] by Thursday, April 30 at 5:00 PM.

We hope to see you there!

04/28/2026

This article presents a case study of the experiences of 15 prospective first-generation college students and their perceptions of career learning while in middle school. This research emerged from longitudinal, mixed-methods work aimed at understanding the influence of the Starr Hill Pathways program on students’ career and college aspirations. The study found that participants valued family, mentorship, and joy in their career learning opportunities and presents implications for developing sustained school-family-community partnerships.

Head to www.communitypartnerships.virginia.edu/research to read the article.

04/23/2026

On April 16, the Center served as a resource provider for the Community Mental Health and Wellness Festival. We were happy to share goodies like tote bags and stress balls while discussing our work as a front door to the community.

Thanks to the UVA Health Office of Community Engagement & Health Outcomes, 's Office of Medical Sciences Outreach, and 's Office of Community Health & Wellbeing for inviting us to participate.

04/22/2026

After surviving the snowpocalypse, it was great seeing our students for a programming day at the ! Students completed vision boards with the MINC Lab, led by Dr. Channing Mathews; participated in etiquette classes and healthy relationship discussions with the Gamma Theta Chapter of Alpha Kappa Alpha Sorority, Inc. and Trā Nicholson; and helped pack more than 100 bags for the Mahogany and Friends Budget Does It workshop April 22-24.

04/14/2026

Earlier this month, Community-Engaged Research and Analysis Team hosted a workshop for the UVA community on Community-Engaged Research, sponsored by UVA's Public Interest Technology-University Network. The half-day session focused on building a shared understanding of community-engaged research through core practices such as practicing humility, pursuing mutual benefit, and building authentic partnerships.

Participants across different fields shared their experience collaborating with community partners and bringing UVA students into community-engaged research projects. Along with rich discussions around opportunities and challenges in implementing community-engaged scholarship, the group worked together around a case study focused on a post-conflict community. It was a great opportunity for researchers across the university to connect with others doing this work.

For practical insights and strategies for centering community voice in research, see the toolkit authored by members of our Center: Researcher Toolkit for Community Engagement in the Charlottesville/Albemarle Region

(https://communitypartnerships.virginia.edu/research/researcher-toolkit-community-engagement-charlottesvillealbemarle-region)

04/13/2026

The 2026 Southern Pilgrimage application deadline has been extended to Thursday, April 16!

The 2026 Southern Pilgrimage, Refounding Legacies, marks the 250th anniversary of the U.S. Declaration of Independence, exploring places where everyday people worked to protect and expand our rights and freedoms – since before our nation was founded through the U.S. Civil Rights Movement. Over the course of six days, we'll draw lessons from movement birthplaces, former capitals, and major battlegrounds across the "Upper South" states of Tennessee, West Virginia, North Carolina, and Virginia.

The Southern Pilgrimage is a joint program of the Center for Community Partnerships and Monticello’s Getting Word African American Oral History Department at the University of Virginia. This year's trip takes place from June 6, 2026, to June 13, 2026.

APPLICATIONS ARE NOW OPEN! Applications are due by 11:59 pm on April 16. Submit today at https://tinyurl.com/southernpilgrimage26.

04/02/2026

Colleagues at Commonwealth University's Metropolitan Education Research Consortium (MERC) hosted a cross-institutional workshop on March 20 as part of an ongoing series aimed at understanding the use of research evidence in education policy and practice, an initiative led by the Center's Associate Director of Education Research, Nina Schoonover. The goal of these workshops is to support stronger collaboration among Virginia universities and school districts and to build shared knowledge about ongoing education research-practice partnerships in the state.

03/31/2026

On Tuesday, March 17th, we joined the inaugural Firearm Safety Data Summit. Samantha Toet moderated a panel discussing the landscape and limitations of existing firearm safety data alongside members of the Virginia Department of Health, Virginia State Police, John's Hopkins Center for Gun Violence Solutions, and the Abu Unity Foundation. The conversation was focused on best practices for working with and understanding community safety data in addition to the value of amplifying community voices alongside data to support meaningful and intentional action.

In 2025 Sam and Michele Claibourn, Director of our Community-Centered Analysis team, published "The State of Gun Violence in Charlottesville & Albemarle County." As a part of UVA's Gun Violence Solutions Project, the data overview and accompanying policy briefs emphasize community-driven partnerships to develop a shared understanding and greater clarity, identify knowledge and data gaps, and facilitate wider community engagement in conversations about solutions.

This project aims to describe the nature, scope, and dimensions of the problem of gun violence locally. Learn more about the Local Gun Violence Project here: https://communitypartnerships.virginia.edu/gun-violence-charlottesville-albemarle

03/27/2026

The 2026 Southern Pilgrimage, Refounding Legacies, marks the 250th anniversary of the U.S. Declaration of Independence, exploring places where everyday people worked to protect and expand our rights and freedoms – since before our nation was founded through the U.S. Civil Rights Movement. Over the course of six days, we'll draw lessons from movement birthplaces, former capitals, and major battlegrounds across the "Upper South" states of Tennessee, West Virginia, North Carolina, and Virginia.

The Southern Pilgrimage is a joint program of the Center for Community Partnerships and Monticello’s Getting Word African American Oral History Department at the University of Virginia. This year's trip takes place from June 6, 2026 to June 13, 2026.

APPLICATIONS ARE NOW OPEN! Applications are due by 11:59 pm on April 13th. Submit today at https://seenexperiences.com/southern-pilgrimage-refounding-legacies-2026!