Community-Engaged Learning
Community Engaged Learning (CEL) is used to describe pedagogical approaches that aim to achieve both academic and civic outcomes for students, while making a meaningful contribution to both local and global communities through reciprocal partnerships. Through CEL, students engage in a project, developed collaboratively with a community partner, that has mutually beneficial outcomes. Students who participate in Community Engaged Learning complete their experience in conjunction with an academic course as part of their grade.
Since 2017-18, 585 undergraduate & graduate students at Schulich have participated in Community-Engaged Learning, with over 125 projects completed in collaboration with 49 community organizations such as Canadian Cancer Society, The Salvation Army Centre of Hope, PHSS, CityStudio London, and more!
Community Engaged Learning differs from traditional forms of learning because it provides students opportunities to apply their course-based knowledge within real-world settings. It is a form of Experiential Learning that that aims to instill a sense of civic engagement and social responsibility in students. In these settings, students’ observations and experiences in the community are as important for their academic learning as in-class participation and lectures. Through their CEL experience, students regularly engage in reflective practice to identify problems, provide solutions, and understand impact.
Dissemination of Community Engaged Learning: Scholarship@Western
Scholarship@Western, hosted by Western Libraries, facilities knowledge sharing and promotes open access to the academic and professional achievements of members of the Western community.
Please visit our Schulich School of Medicine: Community Engaged Learning collection to view previous CEL projects undertaken by Schulich students in collaboration with community partners.
Interested in Community Engaged Learning?
If you are interested in integrating Community Engaged Learning into your course curriculum, please contact Dr. Sarah McLean, smclea26@uwo.ca.
