It Takes Two: Community Engagement as Active Participation for Collaborative Empowerment within and Beyond the Institution

By Nanik Yuliyanti

Since joining UIII’s Faculty of Education, this was my second involvement in a community engagement program. My first experience was the “Youth Interfaith Camp held in Serang,” conducted under a Community Engagement Grant from the university. The second program, organized directly by the Faculty, took place in Cilegon and Anyer on Tuesday, 16 December 2025. As community engagement emphasizes collaborative processes in which universities, researchers, or organizations work together with community members, it requires active participation and two-way interaction between the institution and the community. Thankfully, in my personal reflection, our program truly embodied this spirit.

We—consisting of lecturers, MA and PhD students of the 2024/2025 cohort, and other members of the Faculty of Education—arrived at MAN 1 Cilegon at around 8:00 a.m. We were warmly welcomed by the students, teachers, and other school stakeholders. The opening ceremony featured welcoming remarks, a prayer, and a dance performance originally created by the school and officially patented. During the event, a Memorandum of Understanding (MoU) between MAN 1 Cilegon and UIII’s Faculty of Education was signed, marking the beginning of collaborative empowerment between the two institutions.

Following the opening session, the main activities of the community engagement program took place across 23 locations, including classrooms, the hall, and the school laboratory. Lecturers as well as PhD and Master’s students actively engaged with teachers, local community members, and especially the students. As UIII has a diverse body of international students, many of the activities involved international participants, providing valuable global exposure for students and other stakeholders. The school community was highly receptive and open-minded, several teachers expressed their desire to strengthen their English skills as a means of enhancing empowerment and future opportunities.

The school community was highly supportive and responsive throughout the program. During classroom sessions, members of the student organization (OSIS – Organisasi Siswa Intra Sekolah) accompanied us from the beginning to the end of each activity. The sessions featured a wide range of creative and engaging learning experiences, including topics such as gender education in Islam, parenting, designing effective learning processes based on Merrill’s principles, empathy and inclusivity, English instruction, cultural exchange, and many other interactive activities.

However, due to the limited number of international students available, I conducted the session on my own with 23 students and two members of the OSIS. Thankfully, it went smoothly. During the one-and-a-half-hour activity, as part of English instruction learning, we practiced the three key components of a presentation: the opening, the main content, and the conclusion. The students were given nine different topics and worked in groups to select one topic for their presentation. I gave them 30 minutes to prepare, where they were encouraged to draw and write freely based on what they knew about the topic before presenting in front of the class.

Although the students had limited English proficiency and faced challenges in expressing their ideas confidently in English, particularly when presenting in front of their peers, their willingness to participate and step forward was itself a significant achievement deserving appreciation. At the end of the session, I further encourage the students to be more active in their learning and to remain motivated in improving their English skills. I also shared my personal experience of completing fully funded studies at universities in Türkiye and the United States, which appeared to inspire the students and strengthen their motivation to challenge themselves and pursue future opportunities.

After concluding the activities at MAN 1 Cilegon, we proceeded to Anyer Wonderland for lunch, prayer, and some free time before returning to Depok. Although rain fell for most of the day and we could not really explore the site a lot, but the sense of togetherness shared with fellow students and lecturers was deeply meaningful. The approachable and supportive atmosphere created by the lecturers stood out to me personally, reflecting a culture of mutual respect that may not be easily found in other academic settings. While one of the main objectives of this community engagement program was to collaborate with and reach broader communities beyond our own institution, the process of preparing for and participating in these activities also prompted personal reflection. It reinforced my sense of gratitude for belonging to an academic community that values collaboration, humility, and shared purpose. How blessed I am to be part of this Faculty of Education at UIII.