Community-Engaged Practice at James Madison University

James Madison University (JMU) has a long-standing commitment to community-engaged practice, and so it has been an exciting advancement for JMU to join the Imagining America network as a member institution. In centers like the Office of Creative Propulsion, the Madison Center for Civic Engagement, and Community Engagement & Volunteer Center (CEVC) JMU fosters partnerships that address community-identified priorities, activate the arts and humanities as sites of imaginative discourse, and create opportunities for community and university collaborative engagement. Below are a few current initiatives advancing the IA mission. 

Imagining America Open Forums

“We are excited to be part of this national movement that sees higher education not just as a site of knowledge, but as a catalyst for creativity, connection, and innovation. The Imagining America Open Forum is a way of acting on CVPA (College of Visual and Performing Arts) and OCP’s (Office of Creative Propulsion) belief that the arts are an important site for helping shape the kind of future we want to build together.” 

Kathryn Nusa Logan

Executive Director of the Office of Creative Propulsion*

Launched in Fall 2025, the Imagining America Open Forum Series has become a cornerstone of JMU’s engagement with the national IA network. Hosted at the Office of Creative Propulsion’s newly renovated arts engagement space, these monthly gatherings invite faculty, students, and staff members to explore curated multimedia resources, engage in open dialogue, and participate in arts-based activities around a theme. The inaugural forum, Reimagining America: 2001–2025, featured collaborative poem creation led by Furious Flower Poetry Center director Lauren Alleyne. Other monthly themes have included “Monstrous Othering, Imagining Beyond Borders, and Imagining Rest”. Resources and format have been developed by OCP’s Executive Director Kathryn Nusa Logan and Graduate Associate and interdisciplinary scholar Jana Liberato. Together they find community/faculty collaborators, and gather the multimedia and works to present them in an accessible manner alongside contributions from faculty across various disciplines.

The forums embody Imagining America’s mission by creating interdisciplinary spaces where participants can do what IA does, “create critical yet hopeful spaces to imagine better ways of living, learning and working together”. Each session blends scholarship, creative practice, and public dialogue, positioning JMU as a hub for collaborative experimentation. 

Madison Community Scholars Program

The Community Engagement & Volunteer Center, in collaboration with local partners, has reimagined the Madison Community Scholars program to create more intentional opportunities for leadership and impact. The new Scholar-Leader track allows students to take on greater responsibility while continuing work that advances community-driven priorities. Students and partners also engage in educational sessions to strengthen their skills and capacity for social impact. Together, they aim to co-create just and sustainable communities through projects focused on education, food and housing security, the environment, and social well-being. 

“I think understanding historical practices used by native communities to support biodiversity and breaking down lasting impacts of colonialism’s exploitation of people and places is essential for a sustainable future.”

Brevin Bugauisan

explains how the Madison Community Scholars Program benefited his in-class learning

JMU ArtsMobile

The JMU ArtsMobile, still in its pilot form, is a mobile arts initiative that brings creative experiences directly into the community around JMU. Developed by the Office of Creative Propulsion, it serves as a traveling arts and design hub, offering workshops, performances, and exhibitions in non-traditional spaces. The ArtsMobile allows JMU students and faculty to share their talents beyond campus, making the arts more equitable, accessible, and inclusive. By engaging with schools, neighborhoods, and community organizations, the project expands access to the contemporary arts work happening on campus. Read more about ArtsMobile

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