"Come on Ralph, tell your fish story," says Dan Hall, vice president for external affairs at the University of Louisville.

Ralph Fitzpatrick, associate vice president for external affairs, smiles and sighs heavily. He likes to tell the story, but he has told it many times. His story is a modified version of a well-known parable.

It goes like this: If a man comes to you and is hungry, you can either give him a fish to eat or teach him to fish. The popular belief is that you must teach him to fish so that he will learn to take care of himself and no longer go hungry.

But there's a component to the story that is missing, Fitzpatrick says.

"The pond. The truth is we need to give the man a fish to eat today, teach him to fish tomorrow and, just as importantly, make sure he has a pond to fish in for the future."

Fitzpatrick tells the story to demonstrate how UofL's Signature Partnership program focuses on education (teaching someone to fish), yet doesn't overlook the importance of infrastructure (the pond) to help those in need.

The Signature Partnership initiative is one of UofL's most vital community outreach programs. At its core is a coalition of community organizations, programs and initiatives that seek to improve the quality of life for West Louisville residents.

Geographically, the partnership targets the area of Louisville from Ninth Street west to the Ohio River and south to Algonquin Parkway. UofL sits on the southeast corner of the targeted region.

Every school or college within UofL participates in at least one partnership program.

The roots of the partnership began in 2003 when UofL President James Ramsey asked for an audit of all university-affiliated community partnerships and programs. The audit revealed that UofL faculty, staff and students were engaged in more than 1,600 programs.

But Ramsey wanted to know more. "Which ones are effective?" he asked.

Answering that question was tough. Fitzpatrick and Hall soon learned that many well-intentioned programs simply don't have measurable results.

Even so, the two eventually were able to clarify and articulate desired results. These became the basis for the partnership's objectives.

"There are a lot of feel-good programs out there," Hall says, "but we want to support those that are truly making an impact."

Hall and Fitzpatrick want to underscore that the "partnership" is exactly that. A West Louisville residents' council gives advice and feedback to UofL's external affairs office. External affairs then works closely with the University Community Partnership Advisory Board, which is the primary decision-making body for the Signature Partnership.

"Early on, we decided we would not go into West Louisville and say ‘Here's what you're going to do,' but rather we would act as partners to ask, ‘What should we be doing?' " Fitzpatrick says.

Today, the partnership focuses on education, economic development, social and human services and health. Fitzpatrick notes that education is the centerpiece of the program because "educational attainment is the most effective tool for long-term human revitalization."

The partnership targets five West Louisville schools to boost educational achievement: Portland and Atkinson elementary schools, Western Middle and Central and Shawnee high schools. At these schools, the partnership has helped launch new events and programs, including science and engineering demonstrations, dental screenings, career exploration, a mentoring program, college scholarships and encouraging more parent-teacher interaction.

As the partnership grows, Hall and Fitzpatrick say they are hearing more and more West Louisville success stories.

"It's that moment of truth when you realize everything is working just like it's supposed to," Hall says.

For more information, visit http://louisville.edu/ur/cr.