group of mccarthy center CELT fellows standing on steps

LEO T. MCCARTHY CENTER FOR PUBLIC SERVICE AND THE COMMON GOOD

Engaging Faculty & Community Partners

Community-Engaged Learning (CEL) connects students and faculty with community leaders, changemakers, and residents to learn about justice issues and support the work of social change.

What is Community Engagement?

Community engagement is the development of sustained and authentic partnerships between the university and its diverse city, state, national, and global communities for the reciprocal exchange of knowledge, skills, and resources. By addressing critical societal issues at home and abroad, students, faculty, and staff contribute to the common good and to changing the world.

Community-Engaged Learning

faculty and community partners attend event

Faculty Develop CEL Courses

Faculty develop CEL courses by integrating curricular content and community-rooted experiences to foster students’ holistic development as leaders who will fashion a more humane and just world.

Faculty

community partners standing outside holding a large poster

Community Partners Co-Educate

Community partners play a critical role as co-educators of students and collaborate with faculty to facilitate deep learning about social justice issues, community resilience, and civic participation.

Community Partners

students walk around the Fillmore area of San Francisco

Students Contribute to Positive Social Change

Students build relationships with peers and community members through CEL courses. Integrating community engagement into credit-bearing courses guides students to contribute to positive social change by working alongside community leaders on projects and activities that also connect with their academic course content.

Students

Jessica Zlotnicki

San Francisco Beacon Initiative

In a short amount of time, we have built a community with students and faculty who we would never cross paths with. And these connections have been more worthwhile than we ever imagined.”