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Community Engagement Impact Projects

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The Office of Community Engagement supports projects that are co-created between Stanford and community organizations, efforts that focus on accelerating solutions to affordability, education, health, and sustainability challenges in our region.

They were initially called OCE seed funding awards to encourage the co-creation of projects that bring our communities together in identifying central problems that can be addressed with Stanford’s academic resources. Now, we emphasize community impact. Through the renamed Community Engagement Impact Projects we highlight the collaboration -- and the relationships that sustain the pursuit of solutions together.

Such work is considered central to living our values at Stanford: To harness our expertise to make advancements for the public good. 

More than 155 "community engagement hubs" at Stanford are eligible to propose projects. Community engagement hubs are defined by OCE as the Stanford offices and units that engage in sustained community partnerships, involve faculty, staff and students, dedicate resources to sustain the partnership, and practice principles of ethical and effective service.

 

Four astrophysics scientists, one woman and three men, sit on stools in front of an image of the cosmos

The 2025 community collaborations are varied, from inspiring STEM careers for students from Spanish-speaking households to improving medication adherence among unhoused residents.   

Research assistants will conduct career path awareness sessions with high school students

The 2024 community collaborations include reliable air quality measurement and improving the quality of patient clinic services, and more.  

A child tries out a vegetable cone

The 2023 community collaborations stretch from the Bay Area to the Central Valley.

Mobile Teen Van at Los Altos High School

The community collaborations in 2022 include projects in education and health. 

Aminata Kalokoh-Odeh participating in Lakewood Elementary School classroom as part of Stanford Teacher Education Program (STEP).

The 2021 community collaborations supported with the OCE seed funding include projects in affordability/social services, arts, education, and health.