Community-Engaged Teaching

The research has shown that courses involving community-engaged scholarship or service-learning only achieve their goals when implemented well. Below are links to practical guides and toolkits as well as sample syllabi. Additionally, two well-known guidelines for good practice are provided in full: a relatively recent selection (Clayton and O'Steen, 2010) and a classic (Porter Honnet & Poulsen, 1989).

Nashman Top Picks: Toolkits and Practical Service-Learning Resources

 

Faculty Toolkit for Service Learning in Higher Education, from Learn and Serve America (link)

This resource discusses community partnerships, course design, course evaluation and more.

 

National Service-Learning Clearinghouse (link)

A searchable database of thousands of resources related to service-learning. Resources include fact sheets, toolkits, resources on effective practices and empirical research.

 

Campus Compact's Service-Learning Initiatives

Resources include:  An advanced service-learning toolkit, a searchable database of hundreds of program models, and a resource on using structured reflection to enhance learning.

 

Campus Compact's Sample Syllabi

Over 300 exemplary service-learning syllabi across a wide variety of disciplines are available here.

 

Character Clearinghouse

This online resource center serves "administrators, faculty, staff, students, and others interested in issues relating to the moral and civic development of college students. Resources include bibliographies, and slide presentations on service learning, civic engagement and student development of meaning and values.

Journal of College and Character

Published quarterly, this is, "a professional journal that examines how colleges and universities influence the moral and civic learning and behavior of students. The journal publishes scholarly articles and applied research on issues related to ethics, values, and character development in a higher education setting."

 

Corporation for National and Community Service (CNCS)

Created by an act of Congress, this organization houses Americorps and other national service initiatives. While the Corporation no longer funds service-learning in higher education (Learn and Serve America funding cuts), many of the resources resulting from their funded projects are still available.

 

National Youth Leadership Council

Links to their online resources for service-learning educators.  

 

Community-Campus Partnerships for Health

This organization offers resources that are useful for many disciplines.  This organization provides resources on service learning, community-based participatory research, community-campus partnerships, conferences, funding opportunities, and opportunities to publish.

 

EPICS University Program

Service-learning in engineering: Resources include annual regional workshops as well as publications available on their website. EPICS is a program in which teams of undergraduates from a variety of majors design, build, and deploy real systems to solve engineering-based problems for local community service and education organizations.  Each team has a multi-year partnership with a community service or education organization. Projects are in four broad areas: human services, access and abilities, education and outreach, and the environment. 

 

Community Works Insitute

Resources include summer institutes, on-site training and retreats and consulting support. Since 1995, Community Works Institute (CWI) has provided collegial collaboration and professional development, through innovative events, publications, and resources for educators. "We are also building a long term community of connected, likeminded educators to encourage and sustain change and innovation. Our focus is on supporting curriculum that has place as the context, service-learning as the strategy, and sustainability as the goal." 

Educators, schools and programs using the CWI model focus on creating learning experiences that enable students to apply skills and content knowledge to real needs in their local community. Schools employing the CWI model are dedicated to providing opportunities for meaningful student voice and learning opportunities that resonate with purpose.