We realize that understanding community engagement can be difficult because there are many ways of thinking about it and approaching it. We find that studying different processes, approaches and frameworks can help us grasp new areas of research.

So, we looked to different models, processes, tools and frameworks to help us gain a deeper appreciation for what community engagement is and what it looks like. We searched in books, journals, articles, and on the web and found six models and processes helpful to our understanding of community engagement. (See them in the list on the right).

As you look through the models and processes please note that they are just pictorial examples and ideas. These brief summaries are meant to ‘wet your appetite’ for more reading on community engagement. We know that there are other approaches to community engagement out there but these are the ones that helped our understanding and we hope that they help you too.