We Listen
We learn from community priorities and build relationships grounded in trust and mutual respect.
Office of Public Engagement
Building stronger communities through partnership.
The Office of Public Engagement connects the University of Illinois with communities to advance shared priorities through teaching, research, public service, and reciprocal partnerships.
What We Do
We Connect
We bring together community knowledge, university expertise, and shared goals.
We Support
We provide resources, guidance, and coordination to help partnerships thrive and create lasting impact.
As part of our founding mission, Illinois has a responsibility to deliver real, measurable impact for the public good.
Charles L. Isbell, Jr., Chancellor
Engage with Illinois
Community
- Connect with university experts
- Explore partnership opportunities
- Access campus resources
Faculty & Staff
- Identify community partners
- Develop engaged research and teaching
- Access engagement resources
Students
- Volunteer in the local community
- Explore civic leadership
- Participate in community-based research projects
Upcoming Events
SEP
24
Values-Driven Partnerships: Creating Lasting Community Impact Through Research
Date and time: Thursday, September 24, 2026 | 8:30–10:30 a.m.
Location: 300 Levis Faculty Center
Registration deadline: Thursday, September 17
Explore practical strategies for building community capacity, advancing collaborative leadership, and creating sustainable impact through community-engaged research. The event includes breakfast, a panel discussion, roundtable conversations, and networking opportunities.
SEP
25
Fostering Meaningful Campus-Community Partnerships
Date and time: Friday, September 25, 2026 | 1–2:30 p.m.
Location: Champaign Public Library | Robeson Pavilion Room B
Cost: Free and open to the public
Join campus and community partners for a conversation about building meaningful, reciprocal, and sustainable partnerships.
Engagement Stories
Engagement Across Illinois
August 24, 2026
Yingying Han Receives Distinguished Dissertation Award
Recent iSchool PhD graduate Yingying Han received the 2026 Engagement Scholarship Consortium Distinguished Dissertation Award for research showing how community archives can help marginalized communities build cultural wealth and collective agency.
Read the Story
August 7, 2026
Building Beyond Barriers Grant Winners
The newest Building Beyond Barriers grant recipients are advancing campus-community projects that address local priorities, strengthen partnerships, and create lasting impact.
Read the Story
August 4, 2026
Community-Engaged Research Series Returns for Its Fourth Year
The 2026–27 series offers four events designed to support researchers who are new to community-engaged work and reinvigorate experienced researchers with fresh perspectives.
Read the Story
University of Illinois Urbana-Champaign
Land Acknowledgement
As a land-grant institution, the University of Illinois Urbana-Champaign has a responsibility to acknowledge the historical context in which it exists. We are currently on the lands of the Peoria, Kaskaskia, Piankashaw, Wea, Miami, Mascoutin, Odawa, Sauk, Mesquaki, Kickapoo, Potawatomi, Ojibwe, and Chickasaw Nations. It is necessary for us to acknowledge these Native Nations and to work with them as we move forward as an institution. Over the next 150 years, we will be a vibrant community inclusive of all our differences, with Native peoples at the core of our efforts.
More about the University Land Acknowledgement →504 Swanlund Administration Building
601 E. John St., MC-304
Champaign, Illinois 61820
(217) 333-3378