Community-based Learning Resources for Faculty and Staff

Community-Based Learning (CBL)

Community-Based Learning (CBL) is an intentional strategy that integrates academic coursework with community and civic engagement to address societal needs through collaborative partnership.

CBL is:

  • Based on reciprocal and mutually beneficial partnerships between instructors, students, and the community
  • Rooted in the belief that community members have intrinsic educational assets and resources to share
  • Critical reflection

The goal of CBL is to address community-identified needs and together create positive social change. To help build a community-based learning campus, OCCE offers the following:

Learning Communities

OCCE, in collaboration with campus partners, facilitates learning communities throughout the academic year (October–April), typically meeting twice per month. These are open to all HMC faculty and are offered in alternating academic years.

Community-Engaged Learning Community

This year-long learning community introduces and deepens practice in community engagement, including course design, implementation, assessment, and pathways toward promotion, tenure, and citizen-scholarship.

Open to faculty at all levels of experience, participants will:

  • Engage with readings and reflection practices
  • Learn from guest speakers
  • Share ideas and collaborate on integrating community engagement into engaged scholarship

Core resources include:

  • The Craft of Community-Engaged Teaching and Learning (Welch & Plaxton-Moore, 2019)
  • A Toolkit for Crafting Community Engagement

The next offering will be in academic year 2026–2027.

Dialogues Across Differences Learning Community

This learning community supports faculty and staff in fostering inclusive, equity-minded learning environments and facilitating dialogue across differences.

In collaboration with the Office of Institutional Diversity and the Office of Academic Affairs, participants explore practices that center:

  • Intellectual curiosity
  • Empathy and radical listening
  • Critical thinking and civil discourse

The next offering will be in academic year 2027-28.

Community Engagement Faculty Fellowship Fund

Supported by a generous donor, this fellowship provides stipends for up to two faculty annually to develop community-engaged courses, projects, or co-curricular programs.

Fellows are expected to implement their proposed work in the following academic year.

Interested in learning more or applying for funding, please complete the Community Engagement Faculty Fellowship Fund interest form.

Resources

OCCE Library (Internal)

OCCE offers books, guides, and resource materials available for check-out. Faculty are also encouraged to suggest additional resources. Inventory list.

If you would like to borrow any of the resources listed, please complete the Community Engagement PD Library/Resources form and we will make sure to deliver that item(s) as soon as possible.

Institutional Memberships (External)

HMC maintains partnerships with national and local organizations focused on civic and community engagement. Faculty are invited to participate as learners and contributors through webinars, conferences, and collaborative initiatives, including:

National Center for Science and Civic Engagement (NCSCE) – SENCER is an initiative under this national center (individual or lifetime membership).