Purpose:

• To provide students, and the communities they belong to, with the values, skills, motivation, and knowledge to tackle complex shared problems in increasingly collaborative, creative, and liberatory ways.

• “The partnership of college and university knowledge and resources with those of the public and private sectors to enrich scholarship, research, and creative activity; enhance curriculum, teaching, and learning; prepare educated, engaged citizens; strengthen democratic values and civic responsibility; address critical societal issues; and contribute to the public good.” (The Carnegie Foundation For The Advancement of Teaching)

Key Components: 

• Rigorous scholarship and academic content linked to impact-focused community engagement.

• Engagement components meet community-identified priorities (needs or goals identified by or with community partners). Community partners have power to shape or inform projects and processes. (adapted from The Swearer Center, Brown University)

• Regular & supported critical reflection on engagement experiences that help guide learning in a few areas:
  • Self awareness – understanding oneself in relation to one’s environment, to others, and to broad socio-cultural and political systems.
  • Civic learning – ideas of the public good, democracy, and public and collective dialogue and decision making.
  • Academic content and course learning objectives.

• Learning happens through engagement with texts, peers, and community partners.

What it looks like: 

Community Engaged Learning includes direct service with community-based organizations, research, teaching, advocacy, creative work, organizing and activism, and other activities taken with or at the request of community partners.

Colorado State University created and uses this Continuum of Engaged Scholarship showing varying levels of involvement, partnership, and co-creation between campus entities and off-campus community partners.