Community Engaged Pedagogy
What is Community Engagement?
The following definition is from the Carnegie Foundation.
Community engagement describes collaboration between institutions of higher education and their larger communities (local, regional/state, national, global) for the mutually beneficial exchange of knowledge and resources in a context of partnership and reciprocity. The purpose of community engagement is the partnership of college and university knowledge and resources with those of the public and private sectors to enrich scholarship, research, and creative activity; enhance curriculum, teaching, and learning; prepare educated, engaged citizens; strengthen democratic values and civic responsibility; address critical societal issues; and contribute to the public good.
For more information about Community Engaged Pedagogy, please check out the following resources:
- Campus Compact’s Community-Engaged Learning and Teaching Knowledge Hub & Syllabi Library
- George Washington University’s Community Engaged Syllabus Guide
- Vanderbilt University’s Community Engaged Teaching Step by Step
To learn more about how, and why, higher education institutions are solidifying community engagement as a key part of their mission, check out the Chronicle Report: College as a Public Good.
What are some examples of Community Engaged Pedagogy at Brandeis University?
Projects:
- Brandeis Educational Justice Initiative (BEJI)
- Contact: David Sherman, Ph.D., Associate Professor of English and co-director of BEJI
- Team Consulting Project, (Heller School for Social Policy and Management)
- Contact: Lawrence Bailis, Ph.D., Associate Professor in the Heller School for Social Policy and Management and Carole Carlson, M.B.A., Director of the Heller MBA Program
- “A Herculean Tradition” (Heller Magazine, 2016)
- Hannah Borgida, ‘21
- Community Partner: Prospect Hill Kids Club
- “Building a Bond with the Waltham Community” (BrandeisNOW, 2020)
Programs / Courses:
Read “Learning Beyond the Classroom” to see an overview of several of these projects and courses!
- BUS 295C — “Field Projects: Consulting in Social Innovation Impact”
- Professor: Gene Miller, M.B.A., Associate Professor of Practice in the Brandeis International Business School“
- Gene Miller Brings Students from the Classroom to the Board Room,” (Brandeis News & Media, 2017)
- “From the Classroom to the Boardroom,” (Brandeis News & Media, 2018)
- CAST 181B — “Ethics of Community Engagement Practicum”
- Professor: Toni Shapiro-Phim, Ph.D., Assistant Director of Global Community Engagement, Associate Professor, Creativity, the Arts and Social Transformation
- CESP 10A — "Foundations of Community Engagement"
- Professor: Danielle Perry, Ph.D., Lecturer in The Community Engaged Scholars Program
- ED 75B — “Waltham Speaks: Multilingualism, Advocacy, and Community”
- Professor: Rachel B. Kramer Theodorou, M.Ed, Senior Lecturer in Education and Assistant Director of Elementary Education
- “New Course Offered Providing Students with Skills to Work in ESL/Bilingual Education,” (The Brandeis HOOT, 2021)
- ENVS 122A — “Our Local Waterways”
- Professor: Sally Warner, Ph.D., Associate Professor of Climate Science
- “10 Ways the Year of Climate Action at Brandeis Made a Difference,” (BrandeisNOW, 2023)
- JOUR 89A — “Contemporary Media Internships and Analysis”
- Professor: Rachel Raczka, Lecturer in Journalism
- Community Partner: Waltham Partnership for Youth
- “Smells like Zine Spirit: A Student-Produced Community Resource for New Waltham Families,” (BrandeisNOW, 2023)
- JOUR 116A — “Oral Histories in Journalism: Changemakers in Profile”
- Professor: Iris Adler, Ed.M., Lecturer in Journalism
- NEJS 171B — “Tikkun Olam/Repairing the World: Service and Social Justice in Theory and Practice”
- Professor: Jon Levisohn, Ph.D., Jack, Joseph and Morton Mandel Associate Professor of Jewish Educational Thought
- SOC 104A — “Sociology of Education”
- Professor: Derron Wallace, Ph.D., Associate Professor of Sociology and Education
We know that this is just a partial list of all the community engaged scholarship that is taking place at Brandeis. Please be in touch if you would like your course to be included!
Can I get funding for my Community Engaged Pedagogy?
Yes! Brandeis offers multiple avenues for funding your research, as well as help finding external funding sources.
Faculty in the Creative Arts, Humanities, and Social Sciences, please reach out to Judy Appel for more information.
For funding opportunities and partnerships with private organizations, see the Office of Corporate and Foundation Relations.
Funding Opportunities:
Where can I publish articles related to my Community Engaged Pedagogy?
External Academic Journals:
(List inspired by Bentley University’s Service Learning and Community Engagement Center)
Active Learning in Higher Education
Journal of Cooperative Education and Internships
Journal of Experiential Education
Journal of Higher Education Outreach and Engagement
Metropolitan Universities Journal
Michigan Journal of Community Service Learning
Reflections: A Journal of Community-Engaged Writing and Rhetoric
Can I get university transportation for my research project?
Yes! Brandeis University has vans available for students, faculty, staff, and postdoctoral fellows to reserve for authorized student club purposes, community service, academic trips and projects, and administrative purposes. Vans can accommodate 7-13 passengers and drivers must be van certified.
Van reservation forms are processed between Monday - Friday from 9 a.m. - 5 p.m. Vans must be reserved at least 48 hours (business days) in advance. Questions about van reservations? Please contact Sammy Ghansah.
For more information regarding the university’s insurance coverage, please see Insurance and Risk Management's policies.
Should I consider an acknowledgement of risk and waiver liability form?
Yes! If the university is sponsoring or organizing an event or activity for Brandeis or non Brandeis community members, a waiver should be considered.
Are there other spaces/resources to support my research project?
Consider sharing your project through COMPACT Story Lab!
The Brandeis Library is a great space on campus to support your community engagement goals.
- Need help with getting your research project started? Consider reaching out to the Research Help Desk or your department’s Library Subject Liaison to help you use library and technology resources in your teaching, learning, and research.
- Want to learn more about the community of Waltham? Visit Researching Waltham: Resources for Research, Teaching, and Learning!
Looking for more opportunities to build skills and a network in community engaged pedagogy?
On-Campus
- Community Engagement Pathways for Brandeis Students
- COMPACT Events Page
Are you interested in volunteering around your local Waltham community? See the Department of Student Engagement’s page for information on volunteering opportunities such as the:
Are you a faculty member looking for a pedagogical community at Brandeis University? Consider checking out the Center for Teaching and Learning’s Faculty Learning Communities!
Off-Campus
Campus Compact offers a multitude of resources for faculty, staff, and students interested in delving deeper into community engagement. Thanks to Brandeis’s membership, all resources and events are free to Brandeis faculty, staff, postdoctoral fellows, and students!