Community Development Educator Participates in Purdue Engagement Exchange at the Annual Community Impact Summit

Purdue Extension Community Development Educator Gina Avila recently participated in the Engagement Exchange during Purdue University’s annual Community Impact Summit, which also marked the 25th anniversary of Purdue’s Office of Engagement. The summit brought together faculty, Extension professionals, and community partners to highlight collaborative initiatives that connect Purdue’s research, teaching, and engagement efforts with real-world community needs.

During the Engagement Exchange, participants rotated through a series of discussion tables featuring projects addressing topics such as food security, public health partnerships, civic literacy, and community development. The format encouraged dialogue among faculty, staff, and partners while helping participants identify opportunities to strengthen collaborations that benefit Indiana communities.

A key theme of the summit was Purdue’s role as a community connector, an external-facing engagement infrastructure that sustains Purdue’s connections and communication across the state and beyond. This network helps generate and steward partnerships between external stakeholders and the many units within the Purdue ecosystem. Through these collaborations, Purdue engages both public and private sector partners to advance initiatives that enhance quality of life, economic vitality, and prosperity locally and globally.

Within Purdue’s engagement system, Purdue Extension plays a critical role at the local level. Extension offices connect Purdue’s research, resources, and expertise directly with communities in each of Indiana’s 92 counties, enabling engagement to occur at the micro level where relationships and partnerships are built.

“I often explain Purdue Extension to stakeholders as the outreach arm of Purdue, bringing research-based knowledge and resources into our communities and serving as a bridge between Purdue and the public,” said Avila. “Participating in the Engagement Exchange helped me see Extension as part of a larger engagement ecosystem. Alongside Purdue’s Office of Engagement and the Purdue Center for Regional Development, Extension serves as one of the community connectors that translate university expertise into meaningful impact across Indiana.”

Events like the Community Impact Summit highlight the power of collaboration between universities, communities, and partners working together to address complex challenges and create lasting impact.