We envision renewed schools, universities, and communities where citizens identify, analyze, and help solve problems in their local and global communities. Through local and international networking, school-university-community partnerships, and interdisciplinary graduate degree programs, we envision empowered citizens working for the creation of a global society rid of poverty, crime, racism, and other forms of inequality."
– Mission, Center for Educational and Community Renewal –

The Center brings teachers, administrators, students, parents, school board members and community members, business leaders, information technologists, and university faculty and students together to share ideas, observe best practices, identify and analyze problems, and develop strategies for improved teaching, learning, and community life.

The Center for Educational and Community Renewal has developing partnerships with educational and community renewal networks in South Africa, Spain Finland, Kuwait, China, Greece, Nicaragua, Mexico, the United Kingdom and the Netherlands. These collaborative partnerships are committed to a strategy of educational and community renewal. The strategy is based upon the promotion of the democratic education IDEALS – Inquiry, Discourse, Equity, Authenticity, Leadership, and Service, and grounded in the knowledge base on school and community partnerships.