At every stage, our work is informed by community needs, goals, and experiences. Learn more about how we engage community knowledge.
The CPL recognizes communities’ strengths, skills, knowledge, and history.
The CPL builds sustainable partnerships driven by community interests, strengths, ideals, and needs.
The CPL learns from community members’ everyday experiences of living.
The CPL joins community partners in projects and research that engage complex social and political systems.
Learn more about our methodology.
4 months ago
CPL Primary Lead Dr. Ryan Lavalley delivered the keynote address for the West Virginia Occupational Therapy Association’s 29th Annual Conference in Charleston, WV last week. In his keynote, “Fire in the Mountain: What Occupational Therapy Can Learn from Appalachian Resilience,” Ryan spoke about how lessons learned from Appalachian history and resilience can inform an expansion …
5 months ago
The Carolina Center for Public Service has accepted CPL Lead Dr. Lauren Selingo into the Thorp Faculty Engaged Scholar Program for the 2025-2027 cycle. The program’s community-engaged curriculum and stipend will support Lauren’s community-engaged research around substance use among older adults and caregivers in Orange County. Thorp Faculty Engaged Scholars participate in a highly interactive, …
5 months ago
The Community Practice Lab (CPL) has collaborated with Habitat for Humanity of Goldsboro-Wayne on a community engagement strategy to support Habitat’s development work in Webbtown, a historically Black neighborhood of Goldsboro, NC. The strategy and resources will support local leaders, partners, and Habitat staff to engage thoughtfully with Webbtown residents as Habitat constructs McNair Heights, …
9 months ago
Students in Dr. Ryan Lavalley’s Master of Science in Occupational Therapy (MSOT) Community Practice course in spring 2025 partnered with community organizations to advance inclusion for older adults and individuals with disabilities. Students designed and/or contributed to initiatives in a wide range of sectors, including education, housing, advocacy, and wellness. In the MSOT course, Ryan …