Implementing Community Engagement Projects in Classrooms

Abstract

Community engagement is a key component to successful town-gown relationships for universities and colleges. The most effective way to teach students the importance of community engagement is through academic based service learning projects. Benefits of creating community engagement opportunities lead to financial benefits, enhance the prestige and visibility of the institution, and strengthens democratic values by reinforcing civic responsibility in students. Additionally, these relationships expand job opportunities for graduates. Despite the benefits from creating academic projects designed to engage students in the community as a part of the educational experience, the practice is not universally implemented. This paper explains the benefits of expanding the collaborative to include the community (town) and the local college or university (gown), analyzes the impact of community engagement on students, educators and community members, and provides real solutions on how to implement community engagement projects in a classroom.