The Transformative Social Impact Journal Podcast

Practice What You Teach: Trauma-Informed Pedagogy Through Experiential Learning

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..

Bridging Academia and Community: Experiences in Implementing a ‘Service & Research Projects Hub’

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.

Understanding Self-Determination in People Experiencing Homelessness to Inform: Community Engaged Teaching & Learning

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. 

Designing for Our Future Selves: A Case Study in Age-Inclusive Design Education Through a Reflective Workshop

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.

The Impact of Medical Respite Care on Healthcare Costs and Outcomes for Homeless Populations: A Literature Review

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.

Building Authentic Community-University Partnerships

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.

How UVU's Stronger Families Project is Transforming Lives!

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.

Academic Service-Learning at Utah Valley University

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.

Unlocking Future Collaborations: Service-Learning Insights

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.

Unlocking Student Potential: Cross-Course Collaboration at UVU!

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!