By Patrick Crowley
The Cincinnati Enquirer

HIGHLAND HEIGHTS - Community involvement has long been a passion of Northern Kentucky University President Dr. James Votruba.

NKU OUTREACH

• Metropolitan Education & Training Services (METS) Center in Boone County, a workforce training center involving NKU, the state of Kentucky, Delta Air Lines, Northern Kentucky Tri-ED and others. • NKU Entrepreneurship Institute sponsored by Fifth Third Bank fosters business development. • Institute for Freedom Studies promotes research, teaching and community outreach focusing on the Underground Railroad movement. • Institute for New Economy Technologies at NKU. Works with business, civic and government leaders to attract technology-oriented businesses to the region.

NKU has entered partnerships with businesses and institutions on projects for worker training, entrepreneurship, technology, the Underground Railroad and more.

That will expand under a national program on community outreach NKU has been selected to join.

NKU announced Tuesday it is one of four public universities selected for Making Place Matter, an 18-month pilot project. It is designed to "aid campuses and their regional and state partners in framing comprehensive visions for communities and regions and preparing and equipping leaders to pursue those visions," the university said in a statement.

Also selected were California State University Fresno, University of North Carolina Pembroke and the University of Northern Iowa.

The program is funded by a $150,000 grant from the W.K. Kellogg Foundation. NKU will receive $25,000 to "promote a more integrated approach to engagement with communities, regional stewardship and advancing policy."

"Northern Kentucky University has made tremendous progress in community stewardship ... but they are only the beginning," Votruba said. "Through increased collaboration we will continue to help shape the vision of both Northern Kentucky and the commonwealth, and we look forward to serving as a national model in civic engagement initiatives."

NKU's Scripps Howard Center for Civic Engagement houses most of the university's community outreach programs. Its work focuses on bringing together the expertise of NKU's faculty and students with "the working knowledge of Northern Kentucky's community and business leaders to help solve problems facing area residents," NKU said in a statement.

Making Place Matter is supported by a partnership between the American Association of State Colleges and Universities and the Alliance for Regional Stewardship.

E-mail pcrowley@enquirer.com