
Mayra joined Startups with WLI, as she worked to grow her organization. She is highly active at the UNP Hartland Partnership Center and other UNP-supported partnerships. When the U announced its commitment to partnering with West Valley City and building a new hospital and campus there, Mayra joined in that effort as part of the West Valley Resident Committee as a voice for community-based and culturally responsive approaches to health.
Community Capacity & Wellbeing partnerships bring together residents, community organizations, and higher education partners to advance the priorities of west side families in the areas of housing, health & wellness, employment, safety, environment, local organizational & community development, civic engagement, and language acquisition. While these partnerships often focus on meeting the most basic needs of a community, family, and individual, they simultaneously build the capacity of community organizations and systems of higher education who are engaged in actively working with the community to find and create long-lasting and sustainable solutions.
Long-Term Goals Include:
- Two-way integration
- Individuals and families have opportunities for learning about and connecting with local communities, as well as the larger systems that affect their lives.
- Community organizations and systems of education have opportunities to engage with residents and community groups for the purpose of expanding their capacity to implement research, teaching, and other practices in partnership with, and informed by, the communities with which they work.
- Family and neighborhood stability by ensuring that all residents have the resources, access, information, and opportunities they need for educational success.