SIU System and The Springfield Project launch ‘The Springfield Model for Community-Led Change’
July 9, 2026
SPRINGFIELD, Ill. — The Southern Illinois University (SIU) System and The Springfield Project (TSP) have formed a new long-term partnership designed to expand education, workforce, entrepreneurship, research and community development opportunities for Springfield residents.
The partnership, announced during the SIU Board of Trustees meeting today (July 9), launches “The Springfield Model for Community-Led Change,” a framework for aligning university resources with community priorities identified by residents, neighborhood leaders, local organizations and community partners.
The comprehensive collaboration agreement was signed in late June by Dan Mahony, SIU System president; Dr. Connie Frey Spurlock, SIU System Office of Community Engagement (SIU OCE) director, and Dominic Watson, The Springfield Project (TSP) president.
The agreement marks an important milestone for both organizations. It is the first comprehensive partnership agreement developed through the SIU OCE and the first long-term strategic partnership of this kind undertaken by TSP. Rather than focusing on one project or program, the agreement creates a lasting structure for shared planning, resource alignment, community-informed action and long-term impact.
“This agreement reflects how we believe universities can serve communities in Illinois,” said Mahony. “It creates a structure for extended collaboration built on mutual trust, shared leadership and community priorities. I believe it represents an innovative model that can inform future partnerships across our university system and beyond.”
Founded in 1996, TSP has spent nearly three decades working with residents, neighborhood organizations, businesses, faith communities and public agencies to strengthen Springfield’s historically underserved neighborhoods. The organization’s work is rooted in the belief that residents are the community’s greatest asset and that lasting change must be shaped by the people closest to the issues.
“For nearly 30 years TSP has worked to build partnerships that strengthen our neighborhoods,” said Watson. “This agreement takes that work to another level. It recognizes that communities and universities should not just work near each other, but with each other. Together, we can create new pathways for opportunity, learning, innovation and lasting neighborhood change.”
“The Springfield Model for Community-Led Change” is built on the idea that communities and universities are strongest when they work as partners. Drawing from Watson’s Community Power Alignment Framework, the model recognizes that lasting change requires culture, capital, youth, ownership, policy and place to be aligned around community priorities.
Through the agreement, TSP and the SIU System will combine community knowledge, academic expertise, institutional resources and local leadership to support solutions connected to Springfield’s needs and future.
Initial areas of collaboration may include:
- Entrepreneurship education and business mentorship through the CAPLaunch Accelerator Program.
- Community-informed research, assessment and data sharing.
- Workforce and leadership development.
- Non-credit education and career pathway programming.
- Graduate research assistant support for community-based initiatives.
- Collaborative grant development and shared resource alignment.
- Faculty, student and community partnerships connected to local priorities.
A key feature of the agreement is its focus on shared governance and responsiveness. Instead of locking both organizations into a fixed set of projects years in advance, the partnership allows TSP and SIU to identify emerging needs, develop action plans and launch new initiatives as community priorities evolve.
“The SIU OCE was created to build exactly this kind of relationship,” added Spurlock. “This agreement moves beyond transactional partnerships and creates a shared framework for learning, innovation and action. It demonstrates what is possible when universities and communities commit to working together over the long term.”
Although the agreement has just been signed, the work is already underway. TSP and SIU launched the CAPLaunch Accelerator Program earlier this year and have already worked together on grant development, community planning and capacity-building efforts. The new agreement gives both organizations a stronger foundation to continue and expand that work.
By creating a formal partnership framework, “The Springfield Model for Community-Led Change” gives both organizations the ability to respond to new opportunities, pursue funding, support community-driven initiatives and develop projects that reflect the needs and aspirations of Springfield residents.
Leaders from both organizations hope the model can serve as a replicable approach for future partnerships between universities and community organizations across Illinois.
About the SIU System Office of Community Engagement
Established by the SIU Board of Trustees in 2021, the SIU System Office of Community Engagement connects the expertise and resources of Southern Illinois University with communities across Illinois. The office supports collaborative partnerships, applied scholarship, workforce development, and community-engaged research designed to address locally identified priorities.
About The Springfield Project
The Springfield Project is a Springfield-based 501(c)(3) nonprofit organization dedicated to collaborative community problem-solving and the holistic revitalization of historically underserved neighborhoods. Through resident-centered partnerships, entrepreneurship, leadership development, and community capacity building, TSP works to expand opportunity and improve quality of life throughout Springfield.
Media Contacts:
The Springfield Project — Dominic Watson, president, 217-220-3398, dwatson@thespringfieldproject.org
SIU System Office of Community Engagement — Dr. Connie Frey Spurlock, director, 618-650-2945, connie.freyspurlock@siu.edu
