The Educational Partnerships for Innovation in Communities - Network (EPIC-N) is an international network of some 70 university- or community-based programs using the “EPIC Model” of university-community collaboration to advance progress on the UN Sustainable Development Goals.  In this session, members of the Staff will introduce the EPIC Model, share best practices, challenges, and impact; and highlight stories of how the model has been adapted to different cultures and regions worldwide. Following the presentation, staff will interactively showcase the EPIC Model at work through partnerships across the country and world.

During this session, participants will gain a deeper understanding of the EPIC Model, tips on how to adapt the EPIC Model to their own university or community context, and resources for doing so.

The Educational Partnerships for Innovation in Communities - Network (EPIC-N) is an international network of some 70 university- or community-based programs using the “EPIC Model” of university-community collaboration to advance progress on the UN Sustainable Development Goals. EPIC-N has member programs in the US, Africa, and Asia and is now expanding its reach in Latin America and the Caribbean. The community-driven EPIC Model matches declared community needs for documentation, design, or research to courses of study at universities, with expert instructors in those courses giving students course credit for working to meet those needs. More than 2000 specific projects in more than 350 politically and demographically diverse communities—all advancing one or several SDGs—have been completed so far. Community organizations and stakeholder groups benefit from knowledge generation with mutually agreed-upon actions, measurable impacts, and solutions that work. In addition, the EPIC framework offers an innovative conceptualization of co-creation for sustainability and resilience.

EPIC-N functions at a time when universities are increasing their efforts to demonstrate their social value more clearly. Only in recent years have universities begun to think critically about how best to ensure that university-community collaboration benefits both community and university stakeholders. Likewise, community organizations and cities experience demanding responsibilities to tackle increased global challenges and improve quality of life. Each project implemented by EPIC-N and its partners adheres to the UN SDG’s framework, fulfilling a transformative role in sustainable development.

Universities support communities that deal with local challenges by directing the work of faculty and students to pressing issues and opportunities facing civic society. At the same time, universities, faculty, and students learn from their applied interaction and multi-disciplinary approaches to complex societal needs. The partnership promotes a trusting, collaborative relationship where problem specifications, objectives, and setting of common expectations are all conceptualized in consensus. The collective support constructed by EPIC-N enables community stakeholders to put innovative perspectives and knowledge into best practices. Students can interpret and use knowledge to address community-identified problems through applied coursework. As a result, university-community partnerships strengthen not just service or educational experiences but scaled actions toward socio-transformative outcomes.

Questions? Get in touch with us at campus@compact.org.