Inaugural Issue of Transformative Social Impact: A Journal of Community-Based Teaching and Research

Posted by Transformative Social Impact on June 3, 2025

It is with great pleasure and genuine excitement that I welcome you to the inaugural issue of Transformative Social Impact journal. As we launch this new academic platform, I am filled with optimism about the meaningful conversations, rigorous scholarship, and practical innovations that will emerge from these pages in the years to come.

The mission of Transformative Social Impact is to advance and disseminate knowledge at the intersection of community engagement, service-learning, and social impact. In creating this journal, we sought to establish a dedicated space where scholars, practitioners, and community partners could share insights, methodologies, and outcomes that demonstrate how academic work can directly benefit communities while enhancing educational experiences.

This first issue exemplifies the journal’s scope and ambition. The twelve articles span diverse disciplines—from human resources and nursing to religious studies and design—yet all share a commitment to engaged scholarship that bridges theory and practice. Our contributors represent institutions across the United States and internationally, including Wingate University, La Salle University, King’s College London, University of North Carolina Greensboro, University of Tennessee Knoxville, Radford University, University of St. Thomas, and Utah Valley University. Our journal structure reflects the multifaceted nature of community engagement work. The Research Advances section features empirically grounded studies like “Food and Faith,” which demonstrates how service-learning can revitalize liberal arts education. The Reviews section includes valuable analyses such as “The Impact of Medical Respite Care on Healthcare Costs and Outcomes for Homeless Populations.” Perhaps most importantly, our Community Voices section elevates perspectives from practitioners implementing transformative programs, like the “Practice What You Teach” article on trauma-informed pedagogy.

The articles in this issue touch on critical societal challenges—homelessness, trauma, aging, family stability—while offering evidence-based approaches to address them. From the Service & Research Projects Hub at King’s College London to the Stronger Families Project at Utah Valley University, our contributors demonstrate how academic institutions can become meaningful partners in community development.

Learn more and download the first issue.