Community Impact Hubs + Champions

Recognize and support community and campus leaders and groups who advance community-engaged scholarship through effective partnerships—serving as conveners (hubs) or advocates (champions) for meaningful collaboration with demonstrated impact.

The CI Hubs & Champions Designation and Recognition Awards aim to:

• Recognize a network of Community Impact Hubs across Kansas that fosters collaboration between KU and local communities with demonstrated impact.
• Recognize Community Champions, including individual community stakeholders, faculty, staff, or students, who are meaningfully impacting Kansas communities and championing opportunities and connections for collaboration with KU.
• Reward innovative efforts that foster campus and community connections for shared learning and impact that amplify the public good.

KU Community Impact Hubs and Champions are nominated by peers across the institution and reviewed through a process led by the Office of Community Impact using criteria grounded in the Carnegie Community Engagement Classification framework, recognizing excellence in community-engaged scholarship, learning, research, and service.

A Community Impact Champion is an individual or group—either from KU or the broader community—who actively advocates for meaningful and impactful community-academic partnerships. KU Community Champions receive a one-time $1,500 recognition award. Designated CI Champions are eligible to apply for the Community Impact Strategic Partnership recognition to receive additional funding between $5,000 to support continued collaboration through a closed application process for a limited number of awards.

Those interested in supporting a nomination are encouraged to contact the Office of Community Impact at communityimpact.ku.edu to inquire about the nomination process and/or to request a PDF of the nomination form to view requirements prior to submitting the online application. 

Nominate a Community Impact Champion: A Community Impact Champion may be nominated by others or through self-nomination. Complete this Community Impact Champion Nomination Form.

KU Community Impact Hubs are designations awarded by the Office of Community Impact to recognize strong community-academic partnerships. A hub may be a group, coalition, or physical space that actively engages at least five community partners and two or more different KU units (e.g., centers, departments) that intentionally come together for a shared purpose through a collaborative effort or initiative with already demonstrated impact in and with communities. A designated Community Impact Hub may retain its designation over time by consistently demonstrating effectiveness in advancing community impact through sustained community-academic collaboration.

To receive the designation, collaborators must demonstrate effective partnership and a commitment to serving as an active convener for KU and community collaboration. Designated hubs receive a $5,000 recognition award and become eligible to apply for a Community Impact Strategic Partnership Hub recognition ranging from $15,000 through a closed application process. Groups or efforts receiving the Community Impact Hub designation will be notified upon selection and recognized at the KU Community Impact Summit. 

The inaugural KU Community Impact Hubs for 2025–2026 have been designated by the Office of Community Impact. The focus of designation for some Hubs is to demonstrate an institutional commitment and recognition of key community-academic collaboratives experiencing funding uncertainties due to changes in federal funding. Aiding coalitions and other collaboratives in maintaining and leveraging resources is both impactful and beneficial to maintaining lasting community impacts. Currently, the designation of Community Impact Hubs will focus on Kansas-based groups or efforts serving in Kansas to support the goal of establishing one or more KU Community Impact Hubs across counties in Kansas.

To nominate a future community-academic collaboration for consideration as a Community Impact Hub, please contact the Office of Community Impact to receive more information about the nomination process and/or to request a PDF of the nomination form to view requirements BEFORE submitting the online application. 

Nominate a Community Impact Hub: A Community Impact Champion may be nominated by others or through self-nomination. Complete this Community Impact Hub Nomination Form.