About Partnerships
At the Community-Oriented Digital Engagement Scholars (CODES) program, our mission is to tackle the world’s most pressing challenges—starting at the local level. Our community partnerships are the backbone of this initiative, fostering collaboration, awareness, and leadership where it matters most. By collaborating with CODES, organizations gain the opportunity to implement equitable and resourceful efforts that drive meaningful change with the support of our CODE Scholars. Together, we increase support, elevate grassroots leadership, and create lasting impact between communities and partnerships.
Why Partner with CODES?
- Foster Authentic Mentorship – Build lasting student-mentor relationships with CODE Scholars who are deeply aligned with your organization's mission and values.
- Expand Capacity for Community Partners – Engage passionate student collaborators to support existing initiatives or launch new projects and volunteer opportunities tailored to the communities you serve.
- Access Paid Internship Opportunities – Through the CODES program, host CODE Scholars as part-time interns – empowering students to grow from learners to contributors while advancing your organizational goals.
- Participate in Our Annual Community Advisory Board (CAB) – Join fellow community partners from across the St. Louis region to share insights, shape program development, and connect with a network of engaged professionals.
- Amplify Your Organization’s Visibility – Through our collaborative approach, we help raise awareness of your work – ensuring your impact reaches both local and broader audiences.
- Bring Fresh Perspectives to the Table – Invite CODE Scholars to contribute interdisciplinary research, ask critical questions, and support project execution – guided by experienced CODES Faculty and Staff.
- Strengthen Long-Term Partnerships – At CODES, we deeply value our community partners and understand that meaningful projects often require more than a two-to-four-year commitment. As a program dedicated to supporting a broad spectrum of community-driven initiatives, we prioritize sustained collaboration and continuity – ensuring our shared investment in local communities endures and evolves.
The Partnership Process
While CODES is a four-year program for SIUE students, community partners engage directly with students during the first two years of their scholar experience through this innovative collaboration. If a partnership is formed between CODES and your organization, you would be working with a group of twenty-five undergraduate students and two faculty to understand and address an issue you and your community members are facing. CODE Scholars begin as first-year students and work with their community partners through the end of their second-year. To better understand the scope of involvement and the value this collaboration offers, please check out our Partnership Commitments infographic below.
If you are curious about the learning outcomes we have for our scholars and how they connect to the broader impact CODES has on our surrounding community, explore the full list below.
Before launching a collaboration, we meet with each community partner to review the details of the engagement and discuss the expectations outlined in our Partnership Commitments. To support this process, CODES has developed a comprehensive Community Partnership Toolkit (CPT) Agreement, which captures and customizes key elements of the proposed project based on our conversations with you. This toolkit includes essential resources such as the Partnership Commitments, a Collaborative One-Pager, and detailed Fall/Spring timelines, among other helpful materials designed to guide and support our shared work.
Community Partner Sample Toolkit
Interested in partnering with the CODES program next year? Contact our CODES Community Coordinator, Andrea Barajas at andbara@siue.edu.
MW 9a-11am +F 9am-2pm
