The Center for Community Engagement will identify applied research opportunities and link college resources, broker internships and class projects, and sponsor forums and workshops in order to benefit local and regional communities. The Center's four components – the Institute for Applied Behavioral Research, the Institute for Regional Affairs, the York Nonprofit Management Development Center, and YorkCounts – offer a wide range of research, strategic planning, coordination, and application opportunities that can either operate independently or in support of one another to reach community goals.

"The service and impact of the Center for Community Engagement is increased by a magnitude for every dimension of community work which is connected to an existing entity," explains director Jan Herrold. "York College recognizes the impact its resources and organization could have in the community and region and hopes to engage others who dare to dream of coordination at a scale where a true difference is made."

The newly formed advisory committees for each component of the Center for Community Engagement will provide oversight and third-party perspective in addition to their primary role as a link to the community and its needs. With the initial committee meetings in place, various components will be building on roots in existing community projects, while others will discuss potential projects.

Institute for Applied Behavioral Research
With representatives from York College, WellSpan Health, YWCA of York, York Heritage Trust, York Jewish Community Center, Crispus Attucks Center for Employment and Training, and Lancaster-York Heritage Region, the Institute for Applied Research plans to identify nonprofits or other initiatives which require market research to determine feasibility or increase and measure success rates.

Most recently, Dr. David Polk and Dr. Gary Bittner, professors of sociology at York College, partnered with the YWCA of York to conduct quality of life surveys with their students in a York neighborhood which has been the focus of state-grant-supported revitalization efforts. This five-year project initially measured the perceived quality of life of residents and will continue to measure the success of revitalization efforts.

Institute for Regional Affairs
As director of the Institute for Regional Affairs, business professor Dr. Kenneth Slaysman has provided reliable economic analysis and forecasting for the local area and the region. With the additional support of representatives from Harrisburg International Airport, the Redevelopment Authority of Cumberland County, Harristown Development Corporation, Susquehanna Real Estate, Peoples Bank, MetEd, and Adams County National Bank, the Institute for Regional Affairs hopes to expand its projects to provide the economic perspective necessary for economic development and expansion.

York Nonprofit Management Development Center
Established in the community for seven years by providing consulting services in strategic planning and organizational development, the York Nonprofit Management Development Center has expanded its advisory committee to include representatives from WellSpan Health, Strategic Advantage, Wagman Construction, Cultural Alliance of York County, York County Community Foundation, Leadership York, and United Way of York County.