Community Partners

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Together, we are building stronger connections between campus and the region—preparing students for success and driving meaningful impact across Northeast Ohio.

The EX[L] Center for Community Engaged Learning has a strong tradition of hands-on, problem-based learning and active community engagement by both faculty and students. Learning truly takes shape when it connects with the world beyond the classroom, which is why our community partners play a vital role in helping us develop projects that link education with real-world experiences and local needs. 

This directory highlights the many local partners who collaborate with the university to bring that tradition to life. Through internships, research projects, service learning, and other real-world experiences, these partnerships create valuable opportunities for students to apply their knowledge while contributing to the community. 

As a community partner, if you have a project idea or see a community need, you can connect with our ACES (Akron Community Engaged Scholars), who are ready to help develop and support collaborative efforts. You can also request an ACIP intern for meaningful, semester-long placements to contribute to your work. Interested in co-designing a course or workshop? Collaborate with faculty and students through an [Un]class— a different way of learning that features unscripted, transdisciplinary, community-engaged courses that lead to real-world impact. 

Our community partners include: 
Akron Area YMCA 
Akron Promise 
Akron Roundtable 
Arts Now 
Bayard Rustin Center 
Black Chamber of Commerce 
City of Akron 
Downtown Akron Partnership 
Hartville Potato Chips 
Heinz Poll Summer Dance Festival 
International Institute of Akron 
Better Kenmore 
South Street Ministries 
…and many others who help make our work possible. 

To explore the full list of partners, view the PDF here.