As part of the university’s successful Carnegie Community Engagement Classification application process, the Office of Research and Engagement has compiled a list of fifty of UT’s best community-campus partnerships. The university will be celebrating its status as an engaged institution throughout the year by featuring these individual examples in articles that highlight their unique contribution to the community.
Child Support Employment and Parenting Programs
For some parents, navigating the child-support system while looking for a job and establishing a healthy and strong relationship with their children is difficult. The Child Support Employment and Parenting Program supports non-custodial parents in Knox County who are seriously interested in finding and maintaining employment and developing strong relationships with their children. The Tennessee Child Support Employment and Parenting Program supports non-custodial parents in Sevier, Grainger, Cocke, and Jefferson counties. These programs are funded through a contract administered by the Tennessee Department of Human Services and UT.
Related Story: How Searching for Community Engagement Made Me a Better Journalist: UT student Nichole Stevens spent the past year as an intern in the Office of Community Engagement and Outreach, and director Elizabeth Burman asked for her reflections on the experience.
“Making a difference is what many people have taught me … and that’s to use my expertise with people in the community by engaging with theirs. In journalism, we call that immersion: living the story in order to tell it.”
Related Story: A Perfect Fit: Experiential Learning and Community Partnerships: Provost Martin formally introduced UT’s Experience Learning initiative last week. Community partnerships are the ideal setting for transformative educational experiences for both undergraduate and graduate students. Many of our featured partnerships include experiential learning.