(Inaugural Convening)
March 13, 2026 | The Huffington at Saint Sophia
The inaugural UCLA Community Partnership Summit brought together faculty, funders, and nonprofit leaders for a day focused on strengthening equitable, community-engaged collaboration across Los Angeles.
The convening centered on dialogue grounded in trust, reciprocity, and shared purpose in advancing community-driven research and action. Opening remarks from Darnell Hunt, UCLA Executive Vice Chancellor and Provost, and a keynote from Efrain Escobedo, Executive Director of the Center for Nonprofit Management, highlighted the importance of aligning university resources with community priorities.
Participants engaged in breakout sessions and small-group discussions spanning health, housing, climate resilience, immigration, education, and labor, surfacing shared challenges and opportunities for future collaboration.
The Summit concluded with a renewed commitment to advancing equity through sustained, action-oriented partnerships across Los Angeles.
“Community-engaged faculty (across levels and disciplines) and their community partners need sustained, meaningful investments in these reciprocal partnerships by the university and external funders. Where this exists, amazing impacts become possible.” – Summit participant
FINAL REPORT
A graphic notetaker from LiquidSketchStudio documented key themes and insights throughout the Summit in a final report, available for download below.
