NMC Launches The Center for Diversity and Community Engagement

NMC Launches The Center for Diversity and Community Engagement

Nebraska Methodist College (NMC, www.methodistcollege.edu) has launched the Center for Diversity and Community Engagement (CDCE) to create a more inclusive campus and address barriers to health equity.

“Community engagement has always been a big part of what NMC does. Our mission is to positively impact the health and well-being of the community,” said Dr. Deb Carlson, president and CEO of NMC. “It became increasingly evident that diversity needs to be more than a goal. It needs ownership and accountability. The CDCE was created so there would be a focused effort on both. The CDCE will benefit NMC by ensuring that the College continues to grow in our community and diversity impact.”
The CDCE works to create an inclusive environment where the NMC community can build a culture of belonging and engagement, reflective of the greater population it serves.

Kiley Petersmith, who was previously the director of community engagement at NMC, will serve as the director of the CDCE.

The Center coordinates meaningful and mutually beneficial community engagement experiences to address diverse college and population needs, creates positive social change towards equitable health, and cultivates active citizen leaders.

NMC works with nearly 100 community partners providing community and clinical outreach. Those organizations include the Element Learning Center, Habitat for Humanity, the Intercultural Senior Center, Mosaic, the Omaha Healthy Kids Alliance, the Open Door Mission, Restoring Dignity, and Together Omaha.

The CDCE expands on NMC’s current diversity, equity, and inclusion efforts, including the Social Justice and Inclusion Council. The Council addresses issues of diversity and inclusion by offering implicit bias training and monthly forums for staff and faculty.

The Omaha-based Nebraska Methodist College of Nursing and Allied Health – The Josie Harper Campus is a premier private health professionals institution that teaches The Meaning of Care through its certificate, undergraduate, and graduate degree programs, both on campus and online. Established in 1891, Nebraska Methodist College is an affiliate of Methodist Health System and is fully accredited by The Higher Learning Commission of North Central Association of Colleges and Schools. Learn more at www.methodistcollege.edu.