Quality community engaged learning requires a substantial amount of preparation. Many people who compete or participate in sports know preparation is all part of the game. The same is true for community engaged learning. You, as the faculty member, are not just preparing yourself for the work ahead, you are tasked with working with the community partners and preparing them for what it may look like to work with college students. The community partner will also take part in preparing you and your students with knowledge of the community issue to be addressed and the ways in which their organization is a part of a bigger system. Your students are not passively taking in information during this time; they are also thinking about how they are going to arrange their schedules and transportation and what they might experience during their community engaged learning.

Many of these issues are just the tip of the iceberg and the more you explore, the more you uncover. As part of our Community Engaged Learning Faculty Development Workshop & Consultation Series, our next session titled Preparing for Meaningful Community Engagement will be held on Friday, April 7. This workshop will help you to think about how to prepare for meaningful service without being overwhelmed.

During the first hour we will cover ways to prepare yourself, your community partner, and your students for the joint adventure. After this, members of the academic support team from the MSU Center for Service-Learning and Civic Engagement will be available for consultations regarding the integration of community engaged learning into your curriculum. We invite you to come to all or part of the session. The workshop will be held in Brody 175 from Noon – 1pm. Consultations and time to work on course development is scheduled for 1pm – 2pm. We encourage people to stay in Brody 175 to focus on their course development, and we will take those who have requested a consultation into a different area.

Interested? For more information, click here to register. Registrations close Monday, April 3!

Nicole Springer, Associate Director

MSU Center for Service-Learning & Civic Engagement