For Faculty
The Center for Public Impact offers resources on designing, implementing, and assessing community-based learning (also known as service-learning) courses and community-based scholarship.
What is Community-Based Learning
Community-Based Learning, also known as service-learning, is a class-based, credit-bearing educational experience which integrates academic material, relevant community-based engagement and/or service activities, and critical reflection based on a reciprocal partnership that engage students, faculty/staff, and community members in achievement of academic and disciplinary learning objectives and civic outcomes to advance public purposes.
Online Resources for Teaching Community-Based Learning Courses Online
The COVID-19 pandemic required a shift of all courses to an online format in the spring of 2020. A LibGuide was created to assist faculty with making that shift, but can also be useful for faculty utilizing online delivery of community-based learning courses in the future. The LibGuide features virtual volunteer opportunities, ways to incorporate the COVID-19 pandemic into your course topics, and resources available to you at BGSU for successful delivery of online courses.
Learning Community for Community Based Learning
The LC for CBL is a professional development opportunity for educators interested in integrating community-based learning (service-learning) pedagogy into new/existing courses or programs. The community is open to BGSU graduate students, instructors, staff, and tenure-track/tenured faculty. Limited space is available and new applications are accepted each year.
Faculty Workshops
Exploring best practices in community-based learning, community-based research, and community and civic engagement topics, these events are great opportunities for BGSU faculty members to network with colleagues and learn from other faculty members and professionals about community-engaged teaching and research methods.
Lending Library
The Center for Public Impact is home to over 200 civic engagement publications to promote the professional development of scholars, practitioners, and community members who are engaging in this critical work.
Teaching and Learning Resources
We have a variety of resources available for faculty members to use. Some of these resources include a lending library, toolkits, sample syllabi, and more.
We are happy to meet on an individual basis or as a small group to discuss integrating community-based learning into new/existing courses or programs and/or into scholarship. Contact Paul Valdez at paulv@bgsu.edu to request a consultation.