The Tennessean announced March 1 that it will partner with Middle Tennessee State University to launch “Brainstorm Nashville,” a digital hub for civic engagement designed to foster community problem-solving.

The news operation created Brainstorm Nashville at www.BrainstormNashville.com to capitalize on the altruistic momentum prompted by Nashville’s historic 2010 flood. It is designed as a centralized, communitywide collaboration tool for those with ideas, initiative and resources to put toward solving ongoing problems facing the region.

The initiative, still in beta form, is now live with childhood obesity as its marquee topic; others are planned for promotion each month. Topics will be chosen based on frequent conversations with a variety of stakeholders, including partners and readers. Successes achieved through Brainstorm Nashville will be celebrated online, in print, via social media and in real life.

MTSU joins as a contributor and supporter, reinforcing its leadership role in education and public service throughout the region. Working with MTSU and other partners, Brainstorm Nashville activities will also extend to events and grass-roots efforts to raise awareness and encourage involvement.

“As Tennessee’s largest undergraduate university and the largest institution serving the Nashville metropolitan area, MTSU puts a great priority upon partnerships that enhance the state’s educational, social, cultural and economic well-being,” said MTSU President Sidney A. McPhee.

“We welcome this opportunity to work with The Tennessean to spark public dialogue, raise awareness and help foster civic involvement.”

Brainstorm Nashville was built with input from dozens of community groups, government and business leaders, churches, non-profits and many other thinkers, givers and doers in middle Tennessee who see a need for a common brainstorming and collaboration platform.

“We view Brainstorm Nashville not only as the editorial page of the future, but a catalyst for community action,” said Maria De Varenne, executive editor and vice president of The Tennessean. “We are thrilled to have MTSU join this effort to improve the quality of life in middle Tennessee.”

Brainstorm Nashville’s focus is building community in the digital age. The Tennessean can accomplish this based on its reach, with 100,000+ unique daily site visitors, its audience and its ability to moderate, distribute and offer context on important topics.

MTSU offers more than 140 undergraduate and 50 graduate programs through its nine colleges.  More than 70 percent of its 100,000-plus graduates remain in Tennessee, and 60 percent of its alumni live and work within the Middle Tennessee area. Its College of Mass Communication’s new Center for Innovation in Media, located in the Bragg Mass Communication Building, provides state-of-the-art multimedia content development skills to student journalists.

To get involved, visit www.BrainstormNashville.com. Users can register with their Facebook logins and provide their email addresses for notification of upcoming topics.