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Partnering with CBL
Four Collaboration Types
Four Collaboration Types
Community partner interests and aspirations guide the formation of CBL courses and their associated outcomes/deliverables. Ideas for courses often evolve through collaborative discussion among community partners, faculty, and CBL team members, and it is never the case that the plans of faculty members or students are imposed upon/offered up to community partners. Rather, we work side-by-side with community partners and faculty members to co-create student learning experiences that bring about the greater good. Community partners are not passive recipients of CBL projects; they are valued co-educators throughout the design and implementation of these courses.
There are four basic types of CBL collaboration, though these categories are flexible and hybrids do exist. This list is intended to help readers think outside of the box and start imagining the possibilities for collaboration. Reach out to the CBL team to share your aspirations for partnership, learn more about our programs and resources, and start brainstorming project possibilities together.
Types of CBL
| Site-Based Activities | Project-Based Activities | Community-Based Research (CBR) | Community Partner Seminars |
| Faculty and community partners place students at sites where they serve the mission of the organization while also applying and extending their knowledge and skills. Students relate their community-based service experience to learning objectives using structured reflection and learning activities. |
Students, faculty, and community partners collaborate on a project with the purpose of addressing a community-defined interest or aspiration. Community partners and faculty are involved in all stages of the project, including participating in the design and implementation of the project and shaping the final deliverable product. |
Students, faculty, and community partners collaboratively engage in research with the purpose of addressing a community-defined interest or aspiration. Community partners and faculty are involved in all stages of the research project, including defining the research question, participating in the design and implementation of the project, and shaping the final deliverable product. | Students join faculty and learning partners from the wider community to read, discuss, and learn together about a topic of broad social relevance. This model, increasingly common within the context of correctional institutions, may also include other community partners and typically occurs off-campus. |
| Outcomes of Recent Site-Based Courses | Outcomes of Recent Project-Based Courses | Outcomes of Recent Community-Based Research Courses | Outcomes of Recent Community-Partnered Courses |
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In BIO 275: Food for Thought - Students engaged with Campus Garden and Campus Kitchen. By participating in gardening and food recovery shifts, students witnessed the cyclical, multidimensional nature of local food systems firsthand. |
In FILM 238: Documentary Filmmaking - Students and faculty partnered with a local domestic violence/sexual assault agency that offers educational services as well as a shelter and hotline. The team created a documentary about the advocacy work of that organization. |
In SOAN 276: The Art & Science of Survey Research - Students collaborated with the City of Lexington to conduct research on housing. They developed a survey instrument and collected and analyzed the data. | Three W&L courses are taught annually at Augusta Correctional Center. These community-partnered seminars bring together W&L students and individuals who are incarcerated to study topics including team dynamics (BUS), identity construction (SOAN), and justice and mercy (POV). |
Community-based learning courses can scale up or down in the level of community engagement, from being one assignment in a class to influencing and shaping a full class.
Every year the Office of Community-Based Learning collects feedback from community partners, students, and faculty regarding the effectiveness of community-based learning courses. Review feedback from the 2023-2024 Academic Year here.