The Transformative Social Impact Journal Podcast

Discover how UConn’s FLIP program empowers first-generation high school students through financial literacy, mentorship, and immersive college exposure. In this 5-minute video, hear real stories of transformation, learn how six Saturdays on campus build confidence in budgeting, investing, and college planning, and see how alumni return as mentors to create a cycle of support. Ideal for educators, students, and community partners interested in college access, financial education, and youth mentorship. Produced with upbeat, professional stock footage and a warm British narration. If this inspired you, please like and share to spread the impact! #FLIP #FinancialLiteracy #UConn #FirstGen #CollegeAccess #Mentorship #EducationInnovation

Explore how service-learning partnerships are closing the digital divide in this 4:15 educational video for higher ed faculty and staff. Learn evidence-based strategies for co-designing sustainable, culturally responsive interventions that boost digital access, skills, and support systems while enhancing student learning outcomes and professional development. Featuring stock visuals, upbeat workplace music, and a middle-aged British narrator, this video highlights cross-sector collaboration, community-centered design, assessment frameworks, and institutionalization tactics that produce measurable impact. Perfect for faculty, community partners, and administrators planning digital equity initiatives. If you found this useful, please like and share to spread these practices across campuses and communities. #DigitalEquity #ServiceLearning #HigherEd #CommunityEngagement #DigitalInclusion OUTLINE: 00:00:00 - Introduction and Hook 00:00:32 - The Digital Divide Challenge 00:01:18 - Service-Learning Solutions 00:02:48 - Building Long-Term Capabilities 00:03:40 - Conclusion and Call to Action

Discover how universities quantify real-world impact with Social Return on Investment (SROI) in this clear, 5-minute explainer based on Dr. Jonathan H. Westover’s research. Learn practical steps for measuring social value in university-community partnerships, from stakeholder-inclusive mapping and financial proxies to integration with institutional systems. Perfect for university leaders, community partners, nonprofit staff, and students wanting evidence-based tools for impact measurement and funding success. Produced with upbeat professional music, stock visuals, and a middle-aged British narrator to make complex concepts accessible and engaging.

Discover how integrating lived experiences into audiology education is bridging the empathy gap and transforming hearing healthcare. This video explores a pioneering community-engaged learning (CEL) initiative at the University of Connecticut, where audiology students connect directly with individuals living with hearing loss through patient narratives and community meetings. By engaging with real stories from the book *Hear & Beyond* and attending Hearing Loss Association of America (HLAA) events, students develop deeper empathy and a stronger commitment to person-centered care. Learn how this innovative approach enhances clinical understanding beyond technical skills, fostering compassionate, holistic care for millions affected by hearing loss worldwide. Join us to see how empathy through real stories is shaping the next generation of audiologists. Like and share to spread awareness!

Dive into the fascinating world of cross-cultural parenting with this concise 5-minute video exploring Somali and Western child-rearing practices. Discover how deeply rooted cultural values, religious beliefs, and historical contexts shape parenting styles—from Western emphasis on individualism, autonomy, and gentle discipline to Somali traditions centered on collective responsibility, respect for elders, and hierarchical family structures. Learn about the challenges Somali refugee families face when adapting to Western norms, especially regarding discipline and educational involvement. This video is essential viewing for educators, healthcare providers, and child welfare professionals aiming to support diverse families with cultural sensitivity and understanding. Don’t forget to like and share this insightful analysis on cross-cultural parenting!

Discover how a major regional university’s Academic Service-Learning program generates over $6 million in economic value and fosters stronger community bonds! Based on Dr. Jonathan H. Westover’s groundbreaking research, this video explores how 9,142 students contributed 183,516 service hours in 2023-2024, creating a remarkable $192 return on every dollar invested. We dive into the program’s impact on student success, community partner benefits, challenges faced, and how universities act as anchor institutions driving social and economic change. Whether you’re an educator, student, or community advocate, learn how service-learning transforms communities while enriching academic experiences. Like and share to spread the power of collaborative education!

Discover how creative practice can transform university student mental health in this insightful 5-minute video inspired by the groundbreaking research from Donna Poade and Sue Langford. With student wellbeing at crisis levels, especially post-pandemic, creative initiatives offer a powerful, low-cost approach to reduce stress, boost confidence, and foster social connections. Learn about innovative activities—from drawing and creative writing to music video projects—that help students thrive academically and personally. Featuring real participant experiences and expert insights, this video highlights the critical role of supportive spaces, skilled facilitators, and peer collaboration in enhancing mental health. Perfect for educators, students, and institutions seeking effective wellbeing strategies.

Discover how Southern New Jersey is transforming community health through a groundbreaking Three County Community Health Needs Assessment (CHNA)! This IRS-mandated project brings together Rutgers University and a local healthcare organization to explore health needs, barriers, and assets across Cumberland, Gloucester, and Salem counties. Using surveys, focus groups, and interviews with community members and stakeholders, the CHNA uncovers critical challenges like rising healthcare costs, chronic illness, and limited infrastructure—especially in rural areas. But it also highlights strong partnerships and community-driven solutions focused on preventive care, whole-person health, and accessible services. Learn how these findings shape innovative programs and advocacy efforts to improve health equity in South Jersey. Like and share to support community health awareness! #CommunityHealth #CHNA #SouthJerseyHealth #PublicHealth #HealthEquity

This article explores the integration of service-learning (SL) with a consulting approach within human resources (HR) education programs in higher education. We highlight the nature and importance of this andragogical approach, examining how it bridges the theory-practice gap, cultivates professional competencies, fosters civic engagement, and enhances student motivation and satisfaction. The article delves into the reasons why HR education is particularly well-suited for SL with a consulting approach, including the emphasis on people-oriented skills, the multi-disciplinary nature of HR, and the alignment with HR roles and responsibilities. Furthermore, we outline the critical roles of key stakeholders, including students, faculty, community partners, university administration, and professional associations, in the successful implementation of such programs. Finally, we provide practical guidance on program-building within HR curricula, highlighting a successful case study that demonstrates the tangible outcomes and positive impact of this innovative approach to HR education.

Explore the intersection of spirituality and community in our latest video, "Food and Faith: Transforming Education through Service-Learning." In this engaging 5-minute presentation, we delve into a groundbreaking two-year study examining the impact of Service-Learning and Community Engagement (SLCE) in a General Education Religion course. Discover how integrating real-world applications can enhance civic engagement, critical thinking, and ethical leadership among students. With compelling insights and powerful statistics, learn why 68.8% of students expressed interest in further SLCE courses and how this innovative pedagogy revitalizes liberal arts education. Join us on this transformative journey!

In this faculty spotlight, we will highlight two professors of education and their approach to teaching and modeling trauma-informed pedagogy. In their courses they are teaching pre-service teachers about trauma-informed pedagogy and taking intentional steps to build spaces within their higher education classrooms that are also trauma-informed. This allows students to experience what trauma-informed instruction feels like in practice. Additionally, these professors worked together to blend their two courses and involve members in the local community to prepare pre-service teachers with a greater connection to the local communities in which they will student-teach and potentially one day work..

In response to shifting higher education landscapes and increasing calls for civic engagement, a 'Service & Research Projects Hub' was scoped at the Institute of Psychiatry, Psychology & Neuroscience, a faculty of King’s College London, to evaluate the feasibility of connecting postgraduate students with local community organisations for collaborative dissertation research. Through mixed-methods evaluation involving 96 stakeholders, including students, faculty and community partners, this paper explores the opportunities and challenges of embedding community-engaged research within academic structures. Findings reveal high levels of enthusiasm across groups but also highlight barriers such as lack of research training, time constraints, ethical complexities and uneven institutional support. This study outlines key recommendations for improving collaborative research frameworks and proposes a scalable model for integrating community partnerships into academic teaching and research, with implications for wider institutional adoption.

The purpose of this study was to understand what health related activities of residents living in transitional housing for the homeless increases their self-determination in managing their own health, what barriers exist, and what could nursing students do to increase their self-determination in managing their health. Methods: A qualitative approach using interviews, PhotoVoice, and observations was used. Twelve semi-structured interviews utilizing Critical Incident Technique, photos submitted by eight participants, and observation notes were used to learn more about the self-care health practices of people experiencing homelessness. Results: The themes that emerged from the interviews and PhotoVoice supported the Theory of Self-Determination, which states that in order for a person to be motivated to self-care, autonomy, competence, and relatedness must occur. Conclusions: Understanding the needs of the homeless is key to improving nursing care for this vulnerable population. This study fills the gap of understanding what health related activities of residents living in transitional housing for the homeless increases their self-determination in managing their own health, what barriers exist, and what nurses can do to increase their self-determination in managing their health. 

As the global population ages, the design field faces an urgent imperative to confront ageism and foster more inclusive practices. Yet age-inclusive design remains underrepresented in both education and professional settings—often treated as a niche concern rather than a universal human experience. This case study presents a two-part intervention that seeks to reframe aging as a creative, joyful, and necessary focus of design practice: the Design for Aging Resources website and a national workshop titled Designing for Our Future Selves. Together, these initiatives equip design practitioners and educators to address age-related bias, explore the intersection of accessibility and aesthetics, and engage in imaginative futures thinking. The online resource hub curates over 100 tools, frameworks, and case studies to support age-inclusive and values-driven design, while the interactive workshop guides participants through reflective and speculative exercises using tools such as the Radar Diagram and Futures Cone. This work demonstrates how participatory methods and evidence-informed frameworks can surface hidden assumptions, shift mindsets, and generate design responses grounded in empathy, dignity, and autonomy. In doing so, it offers a replicable model for integrating gerontological knowledge into design education and practice—inviting designers to envision aging not as someone else’s issue, but as a shared and vital dimension of our collective future.

National homelessness rates are steadily rising, posing challenges in health care. Homelessness exacerbates health conditions, increasing chronic mental and medical diagnoses, while reducing traditional treatment efficacy Research highlights medical respite care as an effective intervention, improving post-hospitalization outcomes and reducing Emergency Department utilization, hospital stays, and readmissions. This literature review examines various medical respite models and their impact on clinical outcomes, patient experience, and healthcare costs. Different funding approaches are explored, ultimately advocating for shared financial responsibility among multiple stakeholders to ensure sustainable support for these programs.

The field of community-engaged learning continues to evolve, particularly as we focus on learning from the community partners involved in course-based partnerships. Traditional measures, such as surveys and interviews, are often used to gather insights from community partners; yet many argue that these partners remain the ‘unheard voices’ within the field. This study highlights the critical reflections of a community partner engaged in a multi-course, multi-year collaboration, revealing key findings on the importance of trust, sustained communication, and shared decision-making in fostering authentic partnerships. Additionally, insights from both the community partner and faculty member demonstrate that centering the partner’s needs enhances engagement, mitigates power imbalances, and strengthens long-term collaboration. Based on these findings, this article offers practical recommendations for building sustainable, community-driven partnerships that prioritize the active involvement of community partners in co-creating meaningful learning experiences.

Families need support so that communities remain strong. The Stronger Families Project (SFP) at Utah Valley University is a unique and powerful resource in the communities surrounding the university. Families attend a free, eight-week, evidence-based family life education program aimed at teaching skills to parents, teens, and children that are necessary for healthy family life. The program is rooted in Family Systems Theory, offering tailored age-based classes and a whole-family class to address mental health and developmental wellbeing of both the individual and family unit. Classes are taught in English and Spanish by interns from family science and related majors, and the program is further supported by service-learning students performing community service hours. In more than 15 years of service, SFP has supported over one thousand families and trained hundreds of students to deliver effective and impactful family programming to their communities. Ongoing research measuring positive outcomes for community participants shows statistically significant results for all variables.

Utah Valley University's Academic Service-Learning program represents a highly effective high-impact educational practice that delivers significant benefits to students, faculty, and the community. During 2023-2024, the program engaged over 9,000 students across 450 course sections, involving 375 faculty members and 1,000 community partners. Research demonstrates that service-learning participants experience enhanced learning outcomes, improved faculty interactions, higher degree completion rates (30% more likely), and greater semester-to-semester persistence (84% higher). The program generated over 180,000 service hours with an estimated $6 million economic impact, representing approximately $188 in community value for every dollar invested. With its proven record of enhancing student diversity, academic achievement, and career readiness while serving community needs, UVU's service-learning initiative stands as a cost-effective model for engaged learning that advances the university's educational mission.

In this episode, we delve into the groundbreaking findings of the "Service-Learning Community Partner Collaboration Prediction Model & Tool." Discover how student competencies and project outcomes influence future collaborations with community organizations. With insights gathered from 183 partners of a large public university, we examine 13 essential professional skills and their impact on project effectiveness. You'll learn about our Future Collaboration Prediction Tool, designed to help educators and organizations gauge the potential for future partnerships based on current service-learning projects. Join us to enhance your understanding of effective service-learning practices and community engagement in higher education.

Discover how Dr. Jonathan H. Westover and Dr. Jacque P. Westover are transforming education through their innovative cross-course collaboration model at Utah Valley University. In this 10-minute video, we delve into their unique multidisciplinary approach, where upper-division students from organizational development, business statistics, and integrated studies join forces to tackle real-world consulting projects for the Women in Business Impact Lab. Learn about the structured course design, team dynamics, challenges faced, and the valuable skills students gain while navigating this collaborative process. This model sets a precedent for educational institutions seeking to enhance student engagement and practical experience. Don’t forget to like and share this video!

Title: Cultivating Cross-Course Collaboration: A Model for Student Consulting Projects Authors/Presenters: By Jonathan H. Westover and Jacque P. Westover Abstract: This discusses a unique cross-course collaborative model implemented at Utah Valley University between organizational development and change, advanced business statistics, and integrated studies courses. This fall semester, upper-division undergraduate students formed multi-disciplinary teams to complete a semester-long consulting project with the university's Women in Business Impact Lab. Through an iterative process of proposal development, data analysis, and solution implementation, students gained valuable consulting experience while working across course boundaries. The model integrated skills from each discipline by having teams develop proposals, analyze data provided by the Impact Lab, and develop recommendations. Regular cross-team meetings allowed students to leverage diverse expertise. This presentation will outline the course structure, team processes, challenges encountered, and lessons learned. Experiences to date suggests the model enhanced students' collaborative and applied skills. The cross-course approach can serve as a template for other institutions seeking to provide real-world experiences through multi-disciplinary teamwork. doi.org/10.70175/socialimpactjournal.2025.1.1.1

From the article: "Why should organizations develop corporate social impact initiatives? First, we need to openly acknowledge that companies have a social contract with their surrounding communities. As companies directly benefit from the shared community infrastructure, organizations have a responsibility to give back to and directly benefit their communities, and not just through providing jobs. Simply put, a social, impact-driven employee engagement strategy is the next blue ocean worker engagement area for organizations, which will simultaneously increase the firm’s socially-minded brand and reputation, while also leading to a wide range of positive organizational benefits and outcomes. And, there is the added benefit that such initiatives, irrespective of the very real firm benefits, can positively impact communities and societies across the globe!"