The above image shows Co-Create Director Amy Hilgendorf sharing a report generated by a Co-Create facilitated community input process, at the CommNS Spring 2019 event focused on “Where Mission Meets Advocacy.”
Since 2018, the Center for Community and Nonprofit Studies (CommNS) Co-Create team has worked on 40+ projects to answer pressing questions facing communities around Wisconsin and the world through engaged research. The following is a snippet of a full article highlighting the Co-Create team and the important work that they take on. View the full piece by clicking the button at the bottom of this page, or by visiting the google document.
Co-Create puts the spirit of The Wisconsin Idea into action: an innovative new way for nonprofit and community groups and others to tap into the university’s knowledge and expertise and collaborate to advance the well-being of our communities.
It’s just one of the many ways the School of Human Ecology’s Center for Community and Nonprofit Studies fosters opportunities to apply research and learning to create meaningful social change.
We saw a growing need for data to answer the tough questions that nonprofits and others in civil society are facing,” says Amy Washbush Hilgendorf ’02, MS’08, PhD’11, Associate Director for Engaged Research and leader of Co-Create, which launched in 2018. “These organizations have distinct challenges that we can help address, like evaluating the effectiveness of a certain initiative or gathering information from community members about a new program.
Often, nonprofit and community groups need these answers quickly. Co-Create facilitates a faster turnaround time and connections with precisely the right faculty, staff, and students. Engaging undergraduate and graduate students is a key piece of the program’s success. Students develop valuable skills through hands-on experience, while organizations benefit from a rich group thinking process.
Visit Co-Create’s page for contact information, or check out some of their resources.