Midwest Knowledge Mobilization Network

participants gathering in the inaugural meeting

In a meeting in fall 2012 in Chicago, representatives from schools in the midwest decided to establish the “Midwest Knowledge Mobilization Network“. These early adopters are:

Objective:
The MKMN (Midwest Knowledge Mobilization Network) is a regional (roughly, within a day’s driving distance of Chicago) community of practice that provides guidance for practitioners of engaged scholarship. People with whom the goal resonates of providing a stronger voice for community-campus engagement that explicitly shares ideas, experiences and resources with communities to inform social action will find like-minded practitioners in this network. Infrastructure and research support and advice are exchanged, and community partners are welcome.

Community-University Exchange (CUE) UW-Madison [webpage]
Begun in 2010, CUE is involved in 3 project areas in Madison: S. Park Street, SouthWest Madison, and a new Baldwin Foundation-funded project that brings in the Vera Court Neighborhood Center, Family Voices program at the  Boys & Girls Club and Meadowood Neighborhood Center to work with CUE’s tutor/mentor and parent involvement programs. CUE’s PhD students in C&I, School of Education, under CUE Director Beth Tryon, Prof. Gloria Ladson-Billings and Catherine Compton-Lilly, will coordinate with the Mayor’s Neighborhood Resource Team, MMSD and MOST (Madison Out of School Time) group to inform collaborative approaches to community education that complements the school day.

Center for Urban Research and Learning (CURL), Loyola University Chicago  [webpage]
CURL is the longest-running science shop in the Midwest, and is one of the most vibrant collaborative research centers in the U.S. As a vital part of Loyola University Chicago, the Center accesses the vast resources of this major urban university, nationally recognized for its centuries-old Jesuit tradition of excellence in scholarship and commitment to service.

Center for Urban Initiatives and Research (CUIR), University of Wisconsin-Milwaukee [webpage]
CUIR has been providing research services and technical assistance to public and non-profit organizations to help them make informed decisions. CUIR promotes strategic partnerships, across disciplines and sectors, integrating a dynamic network of expertise to address community issues.

The Steans Center, DePaul University, Chicago [webpage]
The Irwin W. Steans Center for Community-based Service Learning (CbSL) and Community Service Studies provide opportunities and experiences for students to develop social agency through CbSL courses, community internships, research, scholarships, placements, and community-based student employment.

The Solutions Center, IUPUI [webpage]
The IUPUI Solution Center is actively engaged in building university-community partnerships through internships, research, and outreach projects. As a first point-of-contact for the IUPUI campus, the Solution Center assists business, industry, government, and nonprofit organizations in accessing the appropriate resources to meet their challenges and reach their goals.

Center for Social Concerns, Notre Dame University [webpage]
The Center for Social Concerns (CSC) provides community-based learning courses, community-based research, and service opportunities for students and faculty and lies at the heart of the University of Notre Dame. It is a place where faith and action, service and learning, research and resolve intersect. Over the past 29 years, the Center has offered educational experiences in social concerns inspired by Gospel values and the Catholic social tradition so that students and faculty may better understand and respond to poverty and injustice.

Southern Illinois University
Peter Lemish, representative

logos of participating institutions