Information for Interested CBSC Project Partners

what makes a good cbsc project?

Ideal CBSC Projects are those supporting valuable work both benefiting and heavily engaging in local Atlanta area communities. Project partners can be small coalitions, nonprofits, philanthropic entities, governmental agencies, and more.

The work of CBSC teams can include:

• research (surveys, best practices, program evaluations, interviews, etc.)

• community engagement and/or capacity building

• communications

• program development or evaluation

• community event planning

• any other activities that advance the work of our partners.

Issues for CBSC projects regularly include:

• housing or neighborhood development

• community health or food access

• public policy (including education)

• sustainability

Fellows often tackle a piece of work the host organization(s) are not able to complete that positions the partners to immediately utilize the results. The project is not intended to fill staff or volunteer roles that leave a void when the CBSC project term ends.

timing of partner CBSC engagement and implementation

Engagement with the CBSC program as a potential project host can be any time of year, but the fall semester is ideal to be sharing your project needs and ideas with CBSC director Kate Grace. During the fall, CBSC staff speak with a wide range of potential partners looking for basic project information that could be a fit for the fellowship. In late fall (late October through November most years) we ask interested partners to complete a brief project request form.

The program confirms our partners for the following year in late December/early January. The spring (January through April) is focused on project development with 4-5 meetings between the CBSC Fellow team and the partners to craft a shared work plan for the summer implementation term. Students are in a course in the spring and not yet working in the field on projects. The summer implementation term is a ten-week term where CBSC teams work in the field implementing the projects co-designed with their partners. The fellowship ends late July/early August to complete the full year experience for our first-year fellows.

Please reach out to Kate Grace at kdgrace@emory.edu for more information.