CoLab for CommUnity Impact
A National Community of Practice Strengthening Collaborative Leadership Across Human Services
The CoLab for Community Impact is a national Community of Practice (CoP) that brings together leaders from public agencies, community-based organizations, and national partners committed to advancing equitable, community-centered systems change. Grounded in APHSA’s Community & Social Impact (CSI) Framework, the CoLab provides a dynamic space for shared learning, innovation, and action. The CoLab strengthens leadership capacity, builds cross-sector partnerships, and supports members in co-creating solutions that improve outcomes for children, families, and communities nationwide.
Our Mission
To strengthen collaborative leadership and accelerate systems change by connecting community-based and public agency leaders in shared learning, innovation, and action—advancing our collective mission of thriving people, thriving communities, and thriving systems.
Purpose
CoLab fosters deep collaboration among leaders who are co-creating and testing adaptive strategies to strengthen organizational capacity, improve outcomes, and drive community-centered systems transformation. Members work together to identify emerging needs, shape responsive solutions, and generate learning that informs both local implementation and national policy.
Who We Are
The CoLab includes 29 confirmed members across 17 states, representing all four U.S. regions: East, Midwest, South, and West. This includes leaders from state and county human services, children and families’ agencies, and related social service systems. Representation spans regions from Virginia, Pennsylvania, and Minnesota to Colorado, Arizona, Oregon, Louisiana, and Vermont, offering rich, diverse policy and practice perspectives. In addition, community-based and national partners. Together, members serve as CSI Champions, modeling collaborative leadership and advancing community-rooted innovation across the human services ecosystem.
To learn more or express interest in joining the CoLab for CommUnity Impact, please contact Karen Walker.