On November 12th, the Bishop’s Lounge was chock full of students and faculty alike as they met with a variety of local Georgetown organizations as a part of the second annual Community Partner Fair. More than 30 different organizations showed up for this event, ranging from the Palace Theatre to the City of Georgetown itself. 

Students began their journey at the makeshift entrance, where they signed in and could catch a glimpse of which organizations were a part of the fair. To simplify their tour, each program was divided into one of seven different groups, which were then set up accordingly in an open circle around the Lounge.

Once they checked in, participants began their visit at the Youth and Children section of tables. These organizations primarily specialized in outreach programs relating to families and/or children in the community. Next up was the Mental Health group, which was made up of local hospitals, fitness centers, and wellness collectives. Their neighbors similarly focused on physical support and offered resources for issues such as breast cancer, motherhood, and even neuroscience. The next half consisted of the Outdoors/Nature-themed tables, followed by the Arts, Politics, and then Basic Needs and Resources. 

All of these groups were made up of local community partners, organizations that want to work with SU to grow a sense of partnership. When asked why they decided to partner with the Office of Public Engagement, most of these organizations had the same answer: they wanted to connect with Southwestern students. Despite their locality, many of these organizations have not had much interaction with the university in the past and hope to change that by participating in events such as these. 

Similarly, the Office of Public Engagement hopes to connect the Southwestern community with these programs to learn more about the community around them, as well as provide them with local volunteer, research, and partnership opportunities. 

The office’s primary purpose is to build bridges between the university and the wider community by providing them the resources to do so. The Community Partner Fair is one of many different avenues they provide to accomplish this goal. They also highlight different programs, people, and events on their webpage and Instagram year-round.

All of these activities are made easier by the Office’s “CELSAs”, or Community Engaged Learning Student Ambassadors. These are Southwestern students who are ready and willing to help in pairing other students with community partners, including the Megaphone’s very own, Zoe Hein! They also played a major role in organizing and promoting this event. 

Did you miss the Community Partner Fair but still want to get involved? Don’t worry! The Office’s student ambassadors are more than happy to help connect you with the necessary resources. Additionally, keep an eye out on their Instagram for any upcoming announcements or events!