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Community Engagement & Health Equity

Community Engagement & Health Equity

The mission of the College of Health and Human Services (CHHS) is to enhance health and quality of life across the lifespan for individuals, families and communities within southeastern North Carolina.

One of the ways we accomplish this mission is through community engagement. We are committed to facilitating and supporting faculty, students and the community to work together in mutually beneficial ways on issues important to the community and to improve the health and well-being of our communities.

Health equity is defined by the United States Center for Disease Control (CDC) as the state in which everyone has a fair and just opportunity to attain their highest level of health.

Commitment to Working Together
The College of Health and Human Services is committed to growing our academic-community partnerships and are always looking for ways to work together to enhance the health and quality of life of our region, our state and abroad. Whether it is through workforce development or community programming and support, we strive to connect to the communities we serve to make the greatest impact.

Center for Healthy Communities

The Center for Healthy Communities seeks to improve health and well-being by addressing community identified needs through collaborations between campus resources and community agencies.

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Center for Workforce Development

The Center for Workforce Development and Interprofessional Education develops emerging and practicing health and human service professionals by facilitating mentorship, training and collaboration.

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Participants Needed for 2025 Intergenerational Design Challenge

Intergenerational Design Challenge (IDC) participants will play a key role in planning, developing, and disseminating a solution to increase the age-friendliness of our community. During the month of October, scholars will participate in an IDC in which teams of students and community members will develop an initial solution for a local unmet need. Teams will pitch their solution ideas to local community organizations on Oct. 30, 2025. 

Key Duties: Participate in required activities as outlined in the time commitments below. Contribute to a team, utilizing design thinking skills learned during the Intergenerational Design Challenge and beyond. Collaborate with a team to plan, develop, and present (pitch) a solution to an identified unmet need for area older adults. As needed, schedule time to research and interview key community stakeholders outside of the scheduled activities.

Time Commitments: IDC participants will be expected to commit to participating in the following activities:

  • IDC orientation meeting, 1-2 p.m. on Friday, September 26th.
  • IDC sessions on October 2, 7, 14, 21, 23, 28, and 30. 
  • One debrief session on November 6th from 1-2 p.m. 

Eligibility: Any community members, including UNCW faculty, staff, and students, who have availability on the dates mentioned above and transportation to campus. The primary audience is adults 55+, but we welcome people of all ages to apply. 

Location: All of the activities will happen in Veterans Hall or McNeill Hall on UNCW's campus. 

Priority Deadline: September 19, 2025

Click here to apply!
Questions? Please email engagechhs@uncw.edu. 

Applications Open: Community Engaged Scholars Academy - Cohort 2

The Community Engaged Scholars Academy is designed to strengthen faculty capacity in community-engaged research, teaching, and scholarship while advancing UNCW’s and CHHS’s mission of community impact. Participants will have the opportunity to: 

Deepen their knowledge of community-engaged methods and best practices. 

  • Gain insight into building sustainable partnerships that align with scholarly work. 
  • Enhance research, teaching, and service through engaged scholarship. 
  • Build an interprofessional community of like-minded and committed scholars. 
  • Receive up to $1,000 to support a community-engaged project.

Information sessions:  

  • Tuesday, September 16, 2 p.m. | Veterans Hall 1509 or Zoom 
  • Monday, September 29, 11 a.m. | Zoom 

Apply today! 

Click here to apply. Applications due Friday, October 3.

Faculty and doctoral students from all disciplines are encouraged to apply and help shape the next wave of engaged scholarship at UNCW. 

Questions?

Please attend an information session or contact Leah Mayo at mayom@uncw.edu.  

Apply for the Community Engaged Scholars Academy

Contact Community Engagement

Leah Mayo, Assistant Dean for Community Engagement and Health Equity

Phone: 910.962.0552

Veterans Hall 1509 and 1511
engagechhs@uncw.edu