What is a Community-Engaged Course?
Service-learning and community-engaged teaching combine the best of active learning and citizenship by connecting course content with community-based projects that meet a need in the community beyond Ohio State. It is a powerful way of understanding course material by learning from experience. A community-engaged course can help:
- Develop leadership ability and critical thinking skills
- Improve your knowledge of academic subjects
- Expand your world view
- Develop skills for future employment
- Develop personal and social responsibility
How to Find a Community-Engaged Course
- See our list of S-designated courses offered at Ohio State. Please note that some courses in this list may have changed without our knowledge, and it is best to confirm with the instructor whether the course still has a community-engaged component. You can look for specific types of service-learning courses by using the Categories to the left on the course list page.
- Find community-engaged courses via courses.osu.edu:
- Select the appropriate semester and campus
- Make sure the subject section is blank, or select the subject you wish to search within
- Next open the drop down list for "Course Number"
- Select "contains"
- Input the letter S as the course number, so the line reads Course Number contains S
- Click search
- Talk with your Academic Advisor about community-engaged courses that meet your GE, major, or minor requirements and electives.
Other Volunteer Opportunities
Ohio State offers many ways to get involved in the community, beyond course-based community engagement. Below are several opportunities for students to consider.
- Student Life's Leadership and Community Engagement unit provides direct service opportunities for students, connects student organizations with service opportunities, and coordinates large-scale service programs such as Make a Difference Day.
- Pay It Forward and Semester of Service provide Ohio State students with regular, easily-accessible service opportunities on campus and in the Columbus community.
- Buck-I-SERV offers Alternative Break programs that are week-long, substance-free programs centered on community service and civic engagement.