Community-Based Learning
COMMUNITY-BASED LEARNING (CBL)Community-Based Learning is a powerful teaching approach that allows students to engage in hands-on activities that address real-life challenges faced by communities. By partnering with local organizations, faculty can provide an enriching learning experience that benefits students and helps them to see themselves as community contributors. This mutually beneficial relationship between the academic and local communities can foster a deeper understanding of societal issues and inspire students to become agents of change. Join us in embracing this impactful teaching method that empowers students to impact the world around them positively.
What is a Community-Based Learning Course?
By taking a Community-Based Learning Course, you'll gain valuable knowledge and the opportunity to create and implement projects or conduct research in collaboration with a local community organization. This hands-on experience will provide insights and skills to help you stand out in your field. Don't miss out on this chance to make a real difference in your community while advancing your education.
Benefits of Community-Based Learning (CBL)
This program provides students with:
- a unique opportunity to broaden their horizons and reach their full potential. This is done by engaging in hands-on coursework that supports the needs of a community organization.
- a deepening of their understanding of the course content and objectives while also gaining valuable work experience in their field of study.
- a potentially long lasting community relationships that could lead to internships, jobs, and future careers while also strengthening their résumé and transfer application.
- information about how concepts in texts are revealed (that a-aha moment) in our lived communities
- encouragement to be active change-makers in their community.Choose CBL AND, unlock your potential, and positively impact your community!
Choose CBL AND, unlock your potential, and positively impact your community!
Faculty Fellows Program
The purpose of this program is to support a faculty member-or a Learning Community who share a course-in developing a new Community-Based Learning course or redesigning an existing course to incorporate student service to the community. Faculty receive a course reassignment or stipend to develop a service-learning project for a course in a cohort setting.
Community-Based Learning Practicum
Service Learning Practicum (SSN 102) is a one-credit course that can be added on to any course with a service-learning component. Faculty receive an added credit to their course load, and students pay for the extra credit.
Questions? Contact:
Lisa Mahon
DON 357
413.552.2369
lmahon@hcc.edu
Community-Based Learning is an educational initiative in which students complete a project in the community that directly relates to the objectives of a course and meets the needs of the community-based organization. A variety of partners and projects have been able to enrich the educational experineces of our students.
Community-Based Learning Community Partners
Projects are created collaboratively with a community partner – any project is possible!
- Holyoke Food Fitness Council
- Nuestras Raices
- The Care Center
- Holyoke Boys & Girls Club
- Girls INC
- Reach Out & Read
- Springfield Schools Volunteers
- MSPCC/Halo Center
- Western MA Elder Care
- Geriatric Authority
- Kate's Kitchen/Margaret's Pantry
- Gandara Center
- The Trustees of Reservations
Community-Based Learning Projects
Some examples of HCC Service Learning projects:
- An Earth Science course in which students test waters for nitrates and report/present their findings to the Connecticut River Valley Watershed Council
- An English and human services Learning Community in which students learn about writing as a tool for healing and self-discovery, and then work with teen mothers studying poetry at the Care Center
- A web design course during which students design new websites for community-based organizations in Holyoke
- An English and sociology Learning Community on teen pregnancy in which students learn about poetry alongside teen mothers studying at the Care Center, and design an assessment tool for a teen pregnancy prevention program at the Holyoke Boys & Girls Club
- A robotics course in which students instruct the youth at the Holyoke Boys & Girls Club in the designing, building, and programming of robots
- A nutrition course in which students create an activity, a healthy recipe, and content for a lesson plan that teaches a nutritional concept to children at the Holyoke and Westfield Boys & Girls Clubs
- A marketing course in which students break into teams. One team completes a much-needed marketing plan/strategy for developing a new retail store run by Providence Ministries, the other team creates a much-needed survey for the Holyoke YMCA
- A nursing course in which students partner with the Holyoke Health Center's initiative that links literacy and health under Reach Out & Read
Community-Based Learning Practicum
Service Learning Practicum (SSN 102) is a one-credit course that can be added on to any course with a service-learning component. Faculty receive an added credit to their course load and students pay for the extra credit.
Questions? Contact:
Lisa Mahon
DON 357
413.552.2369
lmahon@hcc.edu
SERVICE LEARNING IN 2020
HCC's Service Learning program is working to support our community.
SERVICE LEARNING AT HCC
Service Learning programs bring classrooms to the community.
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SERVICE LEARNING IN 2020
HCC's Service Learning program is working to support our community.
-
SERVICE LEARNING AT HCC
Service Learning programs bring classrooms to the community.
*Note that in January of 2024, the Service Learning Program changed its name to Community-Based Learning. The change is meant to acknowledge that it is our mutually beneficial relationship with community (organizations) that makes this work possible and rewarding for students. Instead of centering the student learner as service giver, we are centering the relationship between community and student by adding community to the name.
