Where to from here? | The Shopfront Story Ep 3

After 30 years of community engagement, a new question emerges - where to from here? Shopfront has survived changes in leadership, funding pressures, shifting university priorities and enormous changes in the communities it serves. So what has allowed it to endure, and what will it take for programs like Shopfront to continue into the future? In this episode, we explore how community engagement can become more than a collection of projects and partnerships. We reflect on what happens when engagement is embedded into the fabric of a university, how institutions can support and reward this work, and why creating opportunities for students to connect with communities remains as important as ever. Along the way, hear about hopes for the future of higher education, the challenges universities will need to navigate, and the role they can play in helping build stronger, more connected and more resilient communities. This episode asks a simple but important question - if community engagement matters, how do we make sure it lasts? Voices Professor Andrew Parfitt - Vice-Chancellor and President, UTS Pauline O’Loughlin – Founding program manager, UTS Shopfront Amy Persson - Pro Vice Chancellor of Social Justice and Inclusion, UTS Professor Verity Firth - Vice Chancellor of Societal Impact, Equity, and Engagement, UNSW Marisol Morales - Vice President, Outreach, Engagement and Regional Development,Northern Illinois University Dr Caspar de Bok - head of Educational Policy & Quality and International Affairs, Utrecht University Eva Cox AO - Sociologist, author and social commentator Scott Burns - Former Shopfront student and UTS Alumni Hosted by Dr Mehal Krayem Credits Produced by Ali Aitken Research and interviews by Dr Margaret Malone and Dr Cale Bain Change the Story is an Impact Studios podcast.