Ohio State receives national recognition for Weinland Park community outreach initiatives

The Ohio State University has been selected as a regional winner of the 2008 Outreach Scholarship W.K. Kellogg Foundation Engagement Award, which recognizes exemplary outreach and engagement partnerships implemented by four-year public universities.

Ohio State, cited for efforts to forge unique partnerships that have helped revitalize the nearby Weinland Park neighborhood, was among five universities to receive the award and is now a national finalist for the C. Peter Magrath University Community Engagement Award.

The Outreach Scholarship and Magrath awards were established in 2006 by the National Association of State Universities and Land-Grant Colleges. Ohio State also won a regional award in 2007 for new initiatives undertaken by the university with community partners, including the Schoenbaum Family Center at Weinland Park, Metro High School and the Battelle Center for Mathematics and Science Education Policy.

"Community outreach and engagement is a vital component to our mission as a land-grant university," said Bobby Moser, vice president for University Outreach. "Being honored with back-to-back awards is evidence of our commitment to being a partner in Ohio's future through significant and meaningful efforts."

Ohio State established Campus Partners in 1995, a non-profit community redevelopment organization, to address the standing issues of crime, housing, community disinvestment and the quality of life for students and residents in Weinland Park and the University District.

Economic revitalization projects, which included South Campus Gateway, and the investment of academic and university resources in community-based initiatives, were lauded as projects that embraced comprehensive engagement and consensus building through multiple partnerships.

Ohio State was honored along with Penn State University, Arizona State University, Tennessee State University and the University of Kentucky. Each will receive an award of $6,000 at the Outreach Scholarship annual conference in October. The national award winner of the Magrath award will be announced in November.

"The Magrath award brings national recognition to substantial changes in communities," said Karen Bruns, leader, University Outreach and Engagement. "The changes are only possible because universities and communities bring their unique talents together to holistically address very important issues in our society."

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