What connects Vanderbilt with the city it calls home? For students, faculty, staff and neighbors alike, it begins with working together toward a shared purpose and developing community partnerships.
Vanderbilt has launched Vanderbilt in the Nashville Community, a new webpage highlighting the university’s collaborations and offering a starting point for engagement. The page offers resources, stories and tools that make Vanderbilt’s community work visible and accessible to all.
Showcasing community impact
The Community Impact Spotlight section highlights Vanderbilt initiatives making a difference across the city— from K–12 education and hands-on learning to cultural projects and community recognition efforts. Each feature illustrates how faculty, students and staff contribute to Nashville’s growth and well-being through meaningful collaboration, while inspiring others to get involved in future community efforts.
Upcoming community events
The site also includes a curated list of upcoming community events including workshops, discussions, and cultural gatherings that are open to the public and supported by the university, both on and off campus.
To submit an upcoming event for promotion, contact Community Relations Coordinator Casey Gymrek at casey.gymrek@vanderbilt.edu.
Mapping partnerships with Metro Nashville Public Schools
A centerpiece of the new webpage is the Metro Nashville Public Schools Interactive Map, which visually represents Vanderbilt’s partnerships with schools across the city. Visitors can search by school or neighborhood cluster to explore tutoring, mentoring, STEM enrichment, college and career readiness, and wellness initiatives supported by the university.
The map was created by the Vanderbilt University Libraries’ GIS Lab using crowd-sourced information submitted by members of the Community Engagement Collaborative in partnership with MNPS. Vanderbilt partners who work with MNPS are encouraged to add their programs and initiatives through the map’s “add an existing partnership” feature or by submitting a partnership form.
Building pathways for future engagement
The site also offers resources and pathways for further engagement with community partners, including guidance on best practices for staff volunteering and access to the Vanderbilt Get Connected platform, where community partners can post volunteer opportunities for the campus community.
“Our goal is to make it easier for people—both on campus and in the community—to find each other,” said Kathleen Fuchs Hritz, senior director for community engagement. “When we align our efforts, the impact extends far beyond individual programs.”
Learn more
Explore the Vanderbilt in the Nashville Community webpage now to discover stories, events and resources that bring campus and community together.