Community engagement gives the Csomay Center the ability to impact aging and quality of life for older adults across Iowa. 

What is Community Engagement?

According to the Carnegie Foundation, "Community engagement describes collaboration between institutions of higher education and their larger communities (local, regional/state, national, global) for the mutually beneficial exchange of knowledge and resources in a context of partnership and reciprocity."

A network graphic shows Csomay Center at the center connecting various partners, researchers, and community members.

Serving as a Resource Hub

Through engagement, the Center connects:

  • one resource to another because of the potential for collaboration or partnerships

  • the public to resources to help with their aging and caregiving needs

  • researchers to populations who might participate in research, or who could benefit from the education provided by the researcher

In this manner, the Csomay Center is contributing and creating the future of optimal aging.

Thanks to the Optimal Aging Initiative

The Optimal Aging Initiative opened the door to our community. 

We seek to help all Iowans optimally age. We are meeting, learning, and sharing about the resources available. This allows us to be a resource hub for individuals and entities alike. 

Furthermore, we’ve created a center that is recognized as a leader in the creation of community partnerships and relationships. Not only do we share aging resources, we share thoughts and concepts on how to truly build a Center. Community engagement is vital to that success.