TMA UMES Hawks Corner Community Engagement Project

Given the lack of educational attainment, the high levels of poverty, and the limited access to well-paid employment opportunities in the community surrounding UMES, there is a unique and powerful role that the university could play in bringing learning resources and expanded horizons to the people in this area. As the county¿s only higher education institution, with a faculty representing over 30 countries, the University of Maryland Eastern Shore is poised to provide world-class exposure to Knowledge Transfer and Knowledge Sharing in this community where the need is so great.

With this in mind, the overall goal of the UMES-Community Knowledge Sharing and Transfer Initiative is to create and maintain reciprocal opportunities for UMES students to engage in the life of Princess Anne and for people in the community to engage in the life of the campus. Not only would this raise the level of access to trainings, workshops, town halls, and other kinds of activities for community members, but it would foster a more open and welcoming, reciprocal relationship benefitting both the community and the campus.

This TMA AmeriCorps VISTA Member¿s role will be to help develop a community engagement site at Hawks Corner, a campus-owned meeting space in the town of Princess Anne. Through this project, Hawks Corner will become a vibrant, visible presence of the university in the center of town, hosting meetings, workshops, and trainings that draw on the resources and human capital of the campus. Activities will be planned with community involvement, and the VISTA member will be actively involved in holding community listening sessions and assessing community needs and interests so that Hawks Corner programming would be fully responsive to and engaged with the community.