On This Page
Overview
Community-Engaged Learning is an experiential approach to education that combines meaningful community-engaged work, critical reflection, and civic education—all of which enhance the academic learning in a particular course.
Through community-engaged learning, students have the opportunity to:
- Put classroom concepts into practice
- Use their unique skills and talents to work in solidarity with the community to create a more just and equitable world
- Develop a reflective practice that enables them to think critically
Courses
Community Engagement & Service Immersion Programs
Students Helping Students Tutoring and Mentoring Club
Students can volunteer to tutor/mentor students at Cesar Batalla School
Cesar Batalla Afterschool Mentor Positions
Paid positions in Cesar Batalla’s afterschool program
Connecticut Institute for Refugees and Immigrants Mentoring Program
Paid positions mentoring refugee-background students
Simply Smiles Service Immersion on the Cheyenne River Sioux Reservation in South Dakota
Each August, a group of Fairfield University students travels to South Dakota with Dr. Peter Bayers, Professor of English and Director of the American Studies Program, to work with Simply Smiles on the Cheyenne River Sioux Tribe Reservation. Students construct homes, maintain the community garden, and facilitate a summer camp. Students are eligible to apply for this program as volunteers, and are encouraged to take an accompanying course in Native American Literature during the following fall semester.
Community-Engaged Learning Associates
Become a peer leader
Each semester, the Center for Social Impact engages undergraduates as student leaders to their peers in community-engaged learning courses. After an application process, each Associate works intensively with one professor to support a service-learning course which aligns with the Associate's academic background and interests. The Associates meet regularly with both faculty and fellow Associates throughout the semester and attend professional development trainings facilitated by the Center for Social Impact.
Research and Publication Opportunities
Global Community-Engaged Learning Scholarships
The Center for Social Impact offers scholarships for students engaged in community-engaged learning immersion experiences. Students who have been accepted into a community-engaged learning experience or a JUHAN program with an immersion component can apply for need-based funding to cover travel costs up to $1,000.
The application for scholarships can be found below. Deadlines are program-specific. It is highly recommended to apply at least 3 months prior to travel. Contact Andrea Canuel with questions.