Kenyon College Office for Community Partnerships

03/11/2026

The Kenyon Office for Community Partnerships is proud to once more be a host to display the incredible artwork and writing of local elementary students from Mount Vernon City Schools!

March is Developmental Disabilities Awareness Month, and to celebrate, the Knox County Board of Developmental Disabilities organized its annual contest: K-2nd grade students participated in a coloring contest and 3rd-5th graders wrote essays about inclusion and the importance of helping all students feel valued and accepted.

We are honored to showcase these inspiring pieces and celebrate the great efforts of these young advocates for inclusion!

Stop by The Wright Center at 400 S. Main Street and see their amazing work, and join us in recognizing the importance of fostering a community where everyone belongs.

02/18/2026

We are so grateful to partner with Experience Mount Vernon and invest in the heart of Mount Vernon. We’re proud to support shared placemaking and help build a vibrant, welcoming downtown alongside so many incredible community partners!

✨ Investor Spotlight: Kenyon College Office for Community Partnerships ✨
Kenyon OCP’s investment in Experience Mount Vernon reflects a strong commitment to community and shared placemaking. By supporting downtown vitality and vibrancy, Kenyon OCP strengthens the connection between campus and community and contributes to a thriving, welcoming Mount Vernon.
We’re grateful for Kenyon College’s continued investment in the heart of our community.
🔗 Become an investor in Downtown vibrancy: experiencemv.org/invest

02/02/2026

OCP's February Stepping Stones (scroll down for fun stuff!): We Know the Newsletter Wasn't Enough of Us for You!

01/05/2026

Check out our Fall 2025 Newsletter, Bridges: Points of Connection. kenyon.edu/ocp-fall-25

Discovering your sense of place makes meaning of your lived experience; in this
issue our students explore the confluences that shape learning, creativity, and
belonging—tracing how students engage with people, places, and ideas both on
campus and throughout Knox County.

Amrin Tasnim Rafa ’28 does a deep dive into the history of the Gambier school
supply drive that reaches beyond just the Village — a grassroots effort that began as
a mother-daughter necessity has grown into a community-effort that ensures local
students start the school year with the supplies they need to succeed.

Elianajoy Volin ’26 shares what happens when neuroscience students add paint,
printmaking, and plant-based reflection to their cache of study materials — this
community-engaged learning course transformed connections between brain
science, creativity and Knox County, and placed them into vibrant works of art
at The Annex.

Eliana also offers her own reflection on her search for connection at Kenyon —
and how her time at Exeter inspired her to build deeper relationships with the
people and places of Knox County by engaging with gardens, food pantries,
festivals, and neighbors.

Nicole Wang ’26 sat down with Fulbright Visiting Scholar Henrik Kovács to
reflect on how Hungarian folk dance invites participation, community, and deeper
connection — for Henrik, dance is more than performance, it’s a way of seeing,
knowing, and belonging.

Through these stories, we see how community, inquisitiveness, and thoughtfulness
intersect to transform experiences into the intrinsic characteristics and emotional
depth of where we live.

12/17/2025

Check out this preview of our upcoming Fall Newsletter! Our office's very own Elianajoy Volin ‘26 shares what happens when neuroscience students add paint, printmaking, and plant-based reflection to their cache of study materials — this community-engaged learning course transformed connections between brain science, creativity and Knox County, and placed them into vibrant works of art at The Annex.

A creative project by Kenyon students that bridges art, neuroscience and a connection to place is coming to The Annex in Mount Vernon.

11/20/2025

Come enjoy the Mount Vernon Holiday Market on Saturday 12/6! 🎁🎊

11/11/2025

Come join Hard Knox Mutual Aid and the OCP for a Community Building Conference at Gund Commons on December 2nd, from 4:30-630pm! 🍂🏠🤝

11/04/2025

Join Professor Bottiger for a seed saving workshop at the BFEC resource center on November 8th! 🌱🪴🍂

10/24/2025

The OCP extends a very special thank you to Lieutenant Governor, Jim Tressel, and all staff of the Ohio State governors office for coming to Gambier and celebrating Wiggins street elementary for their success in the Tressel Fitness Challenge!

Thanks again for our great Kenyon volunteers for being energetic and dedicated to the students at Wiggins Street!

Stay tuned for all the great things we have coming up!

10/20/2025

Democracy works best when we all show up.

Check out this nonpartisan voter guide for the November 2025 Knox County ballot, because informed voters make powerful change! 🗳️✨

Click the link below:
https://drive.google.com/file/d/1gyyqbwXl2EXg2jjQ9Aee-d0SPMvdz1_Z/view?usp=sharing

10/16/2025

We are deeply saddened to learn of the passing of Karen Buchwald Wright. Her extraordinary generosity, steadfast leadership, and commitment to uplifting others have left a profound and lasting mark on Knox County and beyond. Karen’s legacy of community investment, compassion, and visionary leadership will continue to guide and inspire our community for generations to come.

Karen Buchwald Wright left a lasting legacy in Knox County with her philanthropy, business leadership, and community support.