Transforming from ivory tower to collaboration maker status

The term "ivory tower" holds a negative connotation for some academic and research institutions.

There are some efforts to overcome or change this perception. For example, it is great read about some movements from the impression of being an "ivory tower" to developing and implementing partnerships with local communities to foster research efforts that address social problems by new research from North Carolina State University mentioned in Journal of Baccalaureate Social Work.

The media release explaining this effort and guidelines could be obtained from this link titled "Research Lays Guidelines For Real World Scholarship"

Are there any collaborative efforts in your locality to exemplify moving from ivory tower to collaboration maker status? How do they contribute to your community?