This course is an introduction to community engagement with an experiential component. Students will explore themes of community, belonging, and engagement, and ask questions like: What does “community engagement” mean? How and in what ways can students be involved and engage with their community? How are theory, research, and practical experiences connected? Coursework will integrate practical experiences in the field with theoretical and academic understandings of the intersection between university and community. We will explore questions and concepts related to community, community engagement, citizenship, social responsibility, and experiential education through theoretical and practical approaches that integrate sites of learning. Students will also build skills that will provide a foundation for future work in a variety of volunteer and workplace settings.
Students can expect to spend approximately 2-4hrs/week (roughly 20-30 hours throughout the term) on the experiential component of the course, including planning, travel, and volunteer time. Volunteer projects will be student-driven with instructor support, and run from Sept 12 – Dec 8. If you are already volunteering with an organization, you can continue with that work and log those volunteer hours for the course.
This class will not be a series of lectures. Instead, students are expected to take part in discussions about each week's readings and experiences through a variety of formats that include guest speakers, individual and group activities, storytelling and other narratives, artistic expression, and audiovisual components. The goals of this course are not only to understand the key facets of community engagement, but also to build interdisciplinary analytical tools and first-hand experiential knowledge in the context of your chosen communities. This is done through your practice, reflection tools, and academic work.
- Teacher: Auralia Brooke