The annual Pathways to Achieving Civic Engagement (PACE) Conference, organized by North Carolina Campus Engagement, aims to foster the advancement and dissemination of knowledge and practices related to community and civic engagement within higher education.
The conference’s plenary and breakout sessions help advance community and civic engagement in higher education. They do this by sharing research findings, new programs, partnerships, effective teaching methods, strategies for improving institutions and best practices.
North Carolina Campus Engagement and Elon have had a rich history. “Elon University has served as the host campus for N.C. Campus Engagement for over two decades now,” said Bob Frigo, the assistant dean and director of The Kernodle Center for Civic Life. “Former Elon President Dr. Leo Lambert and former Vice President for Student Life Dr. Smith Jackson were pivotal in helping establish the organization and in providing guidance.”
Elon seniors Rachel Curtis ’24 and Nicole McGinty ’24 presented at the PACE Conference. Their presentation was titled, “Preparing students to Engage: Institute for Civic and Community Engagement.” The presentation had insightful information about the Institute for Civic and Community Engagement created by the Kernodle Center for Civic Life to help prepare and educate students to engage in communities.
“After this presentation the goal was to leave the people who attended with an understanding of a tool that they can use on their respective campuses and ways to make presentations both engaging and educational for students,” Curtis and McGinty said. “I hope the people learned more about ways to incorporate community leaders who address local social issues, and also how to utilize discussions, videos, and interactive quizzes to share information.”