Advancing Equity and Upward Mobility in Marin County

Dominican's community-engaged and workforce-aligned programs strengthen Marin County’s social, civic, and economic infrastructure by aligning education with community-identified priorities and regional workforce needs. Dominican contributes to a locally rooted workforce, graduating students prepared for rolesin nonprofit and public sector leadership. Students gain applied experience alongside community partners, while local organizations and agencies strengthen their capacity to engage residents, respond to community-identified priorities, and cultivate future staff committed to equity and public service. Together, these efforts advance a shared regional goal: a more responsive, inclusive, and sustainable civic and workforce ecosystem in Marin County.

Value Proposition

Partnerships to Build Career Pathways to an Inclusive and Sustainable Regional Economy

1. Dominican brings a unique, long-term perspective grounded in trusted partnerships with local government agencies, schools, nonprofits, and community-based organizations. Representing the county’s only four-year institution of higher education, the Center has deep experience in equity-centered community engagement practices including participatory and community-based research methodologies that elevate community voice, shared learning, and reciprocal benefit. This foundation—recognized through honors such as the Carnegie Elective Classification for Community Engagement—positions Dominican to convene, connect, and support multi-sector collaboration. 

2. Dominican faculty and staff contribute interdisciplinary expertise in organizational development, workforce inclusion, health, education, business, leadership, and culturally responsive, participatory practices. Working alongside community partners, faculty co-design training and curriculum, conduct applied and participatory research, and strengthen organizational capacity. This collaborative approach ensures that knowledge generation and problem-solving are grounded in lived experience and responsive to local conditions.

3. Dominican students bring multilingual skills, cultural wealth, and a strong commitment to equity, making them valuable contributors through internships, practicums, and apprenticeships that meet real community and organizational needs. These experiences provide immediate capacity to nonprofits, public agencies, and mission-driven employers while cultivating a locally rooted workforce equipped with essential competencies in communication, critical thinking, equity and inclusion, leadership, professionalism, and teamwork. Together, these partnerships expand economic mobility, strengthen retention of local talent, and contribute to a more inclusive and sustainable regional economy.

4. Dominican is well-positioned to meet this need by sharing its expertise and training local staff and emerging professionals in equity-centered community engagement practices that are increasingly essential to effective governance, service delivery, and organizational leadership. Across the public, nonprofit, and private sectors, a shifting paradigm is elevating the importance of leadership and staff who are trained in practices that prioritize community interests, meaningful participation, and shared problem-solving. 

5. Dominican supports workforce and organizational development by offering training in participatory and community-based methodologies, including Participatory Action Research, community participatory design, community organizing, and arts- and civically engaged approaches. Through partnerships with Marin County and city governments, public safety departments, nonprofits, and regional collaboratives, these practices equip community members, organizational staff, and students with the skills to collect and analyze qualitative and quantitative data, engage residents as co-creators of solutions, and address neighborhood-specific challenges with accountability and care.