Engaging Minds Both Near and Far: Navigating Kinesiology Collaborations Between Universities for Local STEAM Education

Pursuing community-engaged scholarship compels faculty to identify, foster, and adapt partnerships to benefit local communities through collaboration while meeting academic demands. Project KINEs was created as a partnership between [University A], [University B], and [State] community stakeholders. The goal of the project was the facilitation and integration of Kinesiology concepts, including sport sciences and health lessons, into Science, Technology, Engineering, the Arts and Mathematics (STEAM) education curricula in local middle school classrooms. In its first conception, educators were provided in-depth training, curriculum development seminars, and specialized equipment to implement novel strategies to connect human movement to STEAM lessons. Over the course of two years, Project KINEs evolved into a community-engaged scholarship endeavor where university faculty worked to connect specialized training from within and across institutions to pursue public issues tied to STEAM education. Through engaged forms of teaching and research, the project directors learned that applying academic expertise is only one component of a complex and rewarding system. Focusing on public needs while navigating the expectations of project stakeholders requires a collaborative team that acknowledges the unique contribution of each member. Project KINEs evolved from a local project aiming to impact young students’ STEAM experiences and grew to create opportunities for researchers across campuses, provide undergraduates practical lesson planning experiences, facilitate teacher education programs, and partner with ongoing large-scale grant ventures. Perspectives and examples are shared to aid fellow faculty and outreach-oriented stakeholders interested in pursuing community-engaged scholarship.