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Projects with Promise

Vol. 21 No. 2

Evolution of a Social Media-Driven Campus-Community Partnership: Collaborative Learning at The Knowledge Café

Submitted
June 9, 2017
Published
2017-06-09

Abstract

This article describes an early-stage collaborative partnership between a local community foundation and a regional campus of a major university to increase dialogue on the strategic importance and practical execution of advanced social media best practices for small- to medium-sized businesses. Started through a grant won by the author, an interactive program was established as The Knowledge Café. This program includes a series of participative lectures and discussions on advanced social media applications, guest speakers addressing relevant topics, and a community-driven wiki where participants can share their expertise. The origination of the partnership and the evolutionary pathway traveled to date are described, along with data and key learnings generated during the first 2 years of operation. Possibilities for future changes in structure and activities to expand the offerings of The Knowledge Café provide an indication of how the campus–community partnership should continue to grow with time.