About the CESI
The Center for Community Engagement and Social Innovation is committed to collaborating with organizations locally and globally, to enhance innovative and sustainable practices that promote the health and collective wellbeing of communities. The center’s purpose is to advance social work research and innovative practices across various settings with a focus on serving, historically marginalized populations. The CESI is interested in connecting academia and social work with the intent to create models of service delivery, and engage in scholarly inquiry that serve as innovative methods to solving complex social problems.
Housed within CBU’s Doctor of Social Work program, the CESI provides DSW students and faculty the opportunity to connect, collaborate, consult, develop innovative practices and conduct research with community members and agency leaders. The CESI also serves to assist in developing practitioners and agencies such as churches, non-profit and public agencies, schools, and systems of care to connect with practitioners and scholars by providing training, continuing education, and consultation. If you are a member of an agency that is piloting a program, has an innovative practice idea, or is interested in utilizing research and data to advance your agency’s efforts or inform your practice, collaborating with the CESI is a method that will equip you to examine the impact and outcomes of your program(s).
How to Use This Website
Find Research Opportunities
DSW students, guided by competent and skilled faculty, conduct research related to a broad range of topics focused on addressing the needs of historically marginalized populations. For a list of research focus topics DSW students and their faculty advisors are examining, please click here.
Organizational Support
The CESI is equipped to assist organizations in building their capacity to develop curriculum, handbooks, research studies, tracking systems, and data inquiry tools tailored to their agency’s needs. CESI associates work collaboratively with organizations to promote data-informed programming and evidence-based practices to advance best practices, and uphold standards of excellence. To discuss potential resources and consultation, please contact us.
Training and Consultation
A diverse staff of content experts, and scholarly practitioners are available to engage with your organization to develop training germane to your organizational mission. Content experts are prepared to work collaboratively with organization leaders, staff, clients, and stakeholder to identify resources for grant writing, contract negotiation and acquisition, program start-up, cultural humility, diversity, funding models, leadership development, policy review, and analysis. Continuing education credits may also be provided. For more information, or to schedule a training consultation with your agency, please contact us.
Scholarly Practitioner Research
DSW students engage in scholarship during their studies at CBU. Students will advance by examining social problems affecting our community locally and globally. Community-members, practitioners, community members and scholars may examine current research projects promoting innovation practices.
Showcase Your Program
Agencies collaborating with the CESI may share their innovative practices on our website for other scholars, practitioners, and community partners to view. Innovative pilot programs, or projects, and their outcomes, can be shared and supported within the community in the interest of serving our neighbors locally and globally, providing exemplary models of service. For a list of current community engagement projects, please visit us here.