Mar. 20, 2008 – University of Utah faculty and students are engaged in more than academia. From teaching physical education to autistic students, to recording the life stories of hospice patients, to designing sustainable buildings and bringing the Great Salt Lake to life for K-12 teachers and students, U faculty and students are engaged in service-learning and community partnerships that add a human component to traditional higher education.

On Tuesday, Mar. 25 through Thursday, Mar. 27, such projects will be displayed at the first annual Civic Engagement Week poster session. The three-day event will showcase the range of projects in which U faculty and students are engaged. The poster session will take place in the Olpin Union East Ballroom from 8 a.m. to 6 p.m. and is free and open to the public. Presenters, including University administration, faculty and students, will be present to explain their projects at a reception on Wednesday, Mar. 26 from 4 to 6 p.m. in the Olpin East Ballroom.

Currently, more than 100 faculty members from a variety of departments partner with local organizations to perform community-based research, involving students in campus-community partnerships through service-learning classes.

“This is a wonderful opportunity for our faculty and students to showcase the work they’ve been doing, collaborating with the nonprofit sector to address critical needs in our community,” says Katie Olson, service-learning manager at the Lowell Bennion Community Service Center. “These projects are examples of how the University is playing an active role as a member of the community.”

For more information contact Katie Olson at the Lowell Bennion Community Service Center at 801-585-9100 or kolson@sa.utah.edu.