Community-Engagement Toolkit for Faculty and Staff
Community-engaged courses combine learning goals and community service in ways that can enhance both student growth and the common good. This approach is sometimes called “Service Learning” and is a high-impact practice that can create meaningful learning experiences for all students.
Overview of Community-Engaged Learning
What is Community Engaged Learning? What are the benefits? How do I get started?
Developing Community Partnerships
How do I find a community partner? What goes into a successful partnership?
Designing a Community-Engaged Course
What does a a community-engaged course look like? How do I combine content and engagement?
Delivering Community-Engaged Courses
How do I help my students with community engagement? How do I manage the logistics of a community-engaged course?
Assessing Student Learning & Evaluating Impact
What assessments are effective in a community-engaged course? Can I measure the impact of the community engagement?
Frequently Asked Questions
Still have more questions? Check out the FAQ or reach out to discuss your course.
Further Reading
There is a vast body of scholarship on community-engaged learning. Check out this curated list to get started.
NIU Publications on Community Engagement
NIU faculty, staff, and students have published extensively on community-engaged learning and research.
News on Community-Engagement at NIU
Looking for inspiration? Check out some of the community-engaged projects that NIU faculty, staff, and students have conducted.
This toolkit is shared under a Creative Commons Attribution-NonCommercial 4.0 International License, except where otherwise noted.