Community-based learning is an educational approach that integrates classroom instruction with meaningful community engagement. It promotes active engagement, collaboration, and practical application of knowledge, fostering a deeper understanding of academic concepts and cultivating civic responsibility among learners.
Community-based learning is different from other experiential learning programs because it balances both the community’s goals and the learning goals of the partnership. Each has equal weight and enhances the other for all participants.
CBL team members are eager to help you design your community-based learning classes. Schedule a time with Dr. Sarah Brackmann using this link.
Partner with us!
Interested in incorporating Community-Based Learning into your curriculum? Please fill out our intake form with your ideas so that we can figure out how to best collaborate to achieve common goals.
Why add a community-based learning component to your course?
- Deepens learning/engagement with the academic content.
- Fosters a civic engagement mindset, and personal and social responsibility.
- Encourages students to clarify their purpose and values.
- Provides students with firsthand knowledge of community needs and opportunities to be more involved in collaborating to solve challenges in surrounding communities.
- Leads to new avenues for research and publication.
Three key elements of community-based learning:
- Facilitated by mutually beneficial engagement between community groups, students, and instructors.
- Fosters deeper engagement with learning and builds capacity of the community groups.
- Includes critical reflection which encourages students to examine their purpose while exploring solutions to improve the human condition.
How does CBL support faculty?
- Workshops and communities of practice
- Connections with community organizations
- Customized consultations
- Information on best practices and risk management planning
- Reflection materials for community service activities.
- Tools for understanding how to work effectively with community partners.
- Creating course proposals or community-based learning curriculum.
- Connecting with community partners
Faculty Toolkit
The purpose of this toolkit is to provide Georgia Tech faculty and staff with resources to create and develop high-impact community-based learning experiences.
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