The Center for Community Engagement

On Friday morning, January 27th, the NAACP-Austin branch office was the setting for an eye-opening conversation between a diverse crowd of community organizers, longtime residents, graduate students, police officers, and educators. Garrett Groves, Director of Economic Opportunity at the Center for Public Policy Priorities, walked the group through his recent… read more 

The process of reentering mainstream society from the prison system takes a great toll, both financially and emotionally on the individual and those connected to them. Citizens reentering society after incarceration, who have fulfilled their sentences and seek to restart their lives, are given little to no tools to do… read more 

ABOUT THE FRONT PORCH GATHERING The CEC’s Front Porch Gathering represents UT’s open door to the Austin community, providing time and space for community collaboration. The monthly gathering works to address issues of equity, disparity, and access through active engagement and connects UT research and resources with community organizations and… read more 

On a warm October evening, Austin’s Dobie Middle School opened its doors to welcome the second UT-Austin Community Engagement Center Front Porch Gathering—a community convening regarding law enforcement and community engagement. Dobie is located in the heart of the Rundberg neighborhood area, which has been the focus of the Restore… read more 

As the “front porch” of The University of Texas at Austin (UT), the Community Engagement Center (CEC) initiates and stewards successful community-university partnerships that connect the resources of the university with individuals, groups, and institutions in historically and current underserved Austin communities. CEC’s Front Porch Gathering represents UT’s open door to the Austin… read more