Office of Community Development

OgdenCAN is Weber State University's place-based initiative, rooted in the East Central Neighborhood of Ogden. This is where relationships are built, trust is developed, and community-led work takes shape.

Through OgdenCAN, we work alongside the university, residents, and community partners to develop local leaders, facilitate applied research, and support civic action networks.

Our work is deeply relational, grounded in lived experience, and focused on creating lasting hyper-local impact alongside the community. Much of this work has the potential to adapt and scale to strengthen communities across our service region.

We connect students, faculty, and staff to real community priorities, creating opportunities for learning, research, and service that are grounded in place and partnership.

• Students gain hands-on experience through internships, community leadership development, and community-based learning.
• Faculty engage in applied research alongside partners and the community. 
• Community partners help shape and inform this work, ensuring it reflects real needs and opportunities.

Beyond our neighborhood impact, OCD supports Weber State’s broader Anchor Mission and partnerships to strengthen social and economic opportunity across the region.

This work is done in collaboration with other anchor institutions, recognizing that when we align our efforts, we can have a greater collective impact on the communities where we are rooted. 

Committed Anchor Institutions Include:

The Office of Community Development engages with a national network of more than 50 universities committed to advancing the role of anchor institutions in strengthening communities.

Through partnerships, learning cohorts, and anchor networks, we share knowledge, exchange best practices, and collaborate with peers to continuously strengthen our approach and bring new ideas and opportunities to Weber State and the communities we serve. 

Our office actively participates in the following national memberships:  

• Coalition of Urban and Metropolitan Universities (CUMU)
• Anchor Institutions Task Force (AITF)
• Anchor Learning Network (ALN)
  
  Campus Compact
•  
• The Carnegie Foundation (Elective Classification for Community Engagement)