Community-Engaged Learning
Community-Engaged Learning Website
Advisor; RADKE
What is Community-Engaged Learning (CEL)?
Most fundamentally, a community-engaged learning (CEL) course promotes student learning and community impact. Practically, CEL courses include collaborations with community partners* for applied projects, assignments, or experiences that aim to help students learn course content and benefit communities beyond the academy. Currently, community-engaged learning courses are opportunities for students to enrich their classroom learning experience, rather than a requirement of majors, minors, or the general education curriculum.
*Partners include mission-centered organizations such as non-profits or grassroots organizations, government agencies, or social enterprises; or community leaders and changemakers.
Why should students take CEL courses?
√ Enhanced Learning: Engaging, applied projects and experiences deepen students' understanding of the subject matter, cultivates skills such as problem-solving and analysis, and helps students learn the public relevance of academic disciplines.
√ Personal Development: Students learn about themselves, including their identities, capacities and commitments.
√ Civic Development: Students learn how to translate knowledge into personal, civic, and social action, and gain insight into their own theories of change.
√ Career Development: CEL courses support students' discernment of their career paths, and students gain relevant skills and professional experience.
√ Social Development: Students build relationships with people beyond the campus and have the opportunity to cultivate social skills and skills of engaging across difference.
The Community-Engaged Learning (CEL) Course Tag
To see upcoming community-engaged learning courses in which you may enroll, log in to Banner and go to "Class Schedule." Once you have selected a term, you may use the drop-down menu for the "type" of class to search for "community-engaged learning" courses.
You may find more detailed information about CEL classes, including community partners and descriptions of course collaborations, at this community-engaged learning course list on the CCE website.
Questions? Please email CCE Director, Dr. Jordan Travis Radke, at jradke@coloradocollege.edu.