LSU Reilly Center Launches 3rd Community Collaborative Cohort

BATON ROUGE—The Reilly Center for Media & Public Affairs at LSU’s Manship School of Mass Communication is recruiting its third cohort class for “The Community Collaborative: By the Community, For the Community.” The Center is seeking individuals interested in creating change in their communities to participate. 

The Reilly Center will work with selected participants to identify collective solutions to community challenges. The program will feature a four-part training session led by one of its original program founders, Katie Knobloch.

“Working with Community Collaborative participants to apply the skills and tools learned in the program was a delight and extended our ability to reach local communities at a deeper level,” said Reilly Center Director Jenée Slocum. “I am thrilled to have Dr. Knobloch leading the Collaborative trainings again. She has shown great leadership and commitment to creating a more civically engaged Louisiana.”

Knobloch, an associate professor in the Department of Communication Studies and associate director of the Center for Public Deliberation at Colorado State University, will train the new class of participants to understand community needs, solicit input in project development, write grant proposals, brainstorm fundraisers and create realistic projects.

“As a Manship School alumna, I am excited to draw on my experience in public engagement to help train a new group of community leaders in Louisiana,” said Knobloch. “The last round of the Collaborative generated projects that created lasting change in their respective communities. We encourage individuals from any background or community across Louisiana to apply.” 

Following Knobloch’s training sessions, participants will develop mini-grant applications aimed at implementing their public projects. Applications will be reviewed by policy experts, and four participants will be selected to receive $5,000 each for project implementation. 

To learn more and apply, visit the Reilly Center’s Community Collaborative webpage. Civic experience is not necessary to apply, and all participants will be financially compensated for their time. Applicants cannot participate on behalf of an established organization. However, applicants can participate as an independent community leader or on behalf of a start-up organization looking to expand its civic reach. The participant application will be open until March 13, 2023, at midnight.

For more information, contact Adamaris Chavez at achav23@lsu.edu or (504) 491-4802 and Savannah-Leigh Schultes at sschu17@lsu.edu or (760) 271-1848.