Each year instructors at The Ohio State University include community-engaged learning in over 80 courses to enrich the understanding of course content, broaden appreciation of the discipline, and enhance development of civic responsibility. Faculty engaged in community-based scholarship have increased opportunities not only to enrich teaching and integrate service, but also to design research to improve future learning and service outcomes. The Office of Service-Learning offers a variety of resources to support faculty and staff in community-engaged courses:
- Technical assistance with course development
- Faculty development workshops and other events
- Identification of community partners and best practices for service coordination
- Individual consultation
As part of our services, we maintain a wide collection of resources that can be readily accessed to support instructors in planning and facilitating community-engaged courses.
- Service-Learning/Community-Engaged Course Development Grants
- Resources specific to online service and engagement opportunities
- Newsletter for announcements, celebrations, and opportunities at Ohio State and other S-L/CEL organizations
- Request forms for the curricular S-designation to ensure your course is counted and visible as a community-engaged course
- Lending library full of print resources to help develop and facilitate high-impact community-engaged courses
- Professional and scholarly publications and conferences related to service-learning and community-engaged learning
- Digital stories sharing the impact of some of Ohio State's S-designated courses
Is there something missing from our list? Let us know!
Why get involved in community-engaged learning?
- Improve student learning - research has shown that service-learning improves student academic outcomes and student motivation
- Make a difference - community-engaged learning allows faculty and students to see how their work and ideas can have an impact and practical application on life beyond the classroom
- Connect to your passion - intellectual passions and service interests can connect through creative community-based projects in ways traditional classes and research may not
- Attract driven students - students who seek out community-engaged courses have unique life experiences and a commitment to their own learning
- Improve town-gown relations - creating positive, reciprocal relationships with community partners helps to blur the boundaries between campus and community
- Publish in new ways - service-learning and community-engaged research creates new knowledge and offers the opportunity to stand out
- Diversify your CV - service-learning and community engagement makes a nice addition to your tenure and promotion materials
Does your program involve working with minors? Make sure to follow Ohio State's Minor Participants Policy.