The Community Informatics Initiative promotes teaching and research related to community informatics (CI), the study of communities and how they interact with technology. Students and faculty who work in community informatics collaborate closely with community members to cultivate innovative technological solutions to the many issues facing society today including poverty, violence, food security, and more. People involved in CI use insights from fields such as sociology, planning, computer science, critical theory, women's studies, library and information science, and management studies to promote social, cultural, and economic development of communities. CI features hands-on engagement through partnerships with local, national, and international organizations through a project centered approach that allows students to experience the intersection of theory and practice as they build sustained relationships with communities.