A Handbook for Partners in Community-based Learning
Community-based Learning: The Theory
Community-based Learning (CBL) connects students, faculty, and community organizations for active engagement, research, and collaboration around social justice. Through community placements and projects, students explore issues of power, privilege, and oppression, bringing knowledge from their discipline into dialogue with knowledge from the community. Students and faculty, by learning with and from community partners, experience the realities of the world for the purpose of fashioning a more humane and just society. Students involved in community-based learning must understand that they are not going into the community simply to help, but they are also there to learn. In addition to their course-specific learning goals, the service goals in community-based learning include: to acquire a broader understanding of the systemic problems that lead to social problems, and to come to a deeper understanding of marginalized populations. CBL is based on a mutually-beneficial relationship in which the student is there to learn from those in the community while serving and helping to meet a need identified by the community. CBL is a journey: from compassion, to learning, to understanding and connection, to solidarity and finally, to transformative action -- seeking ways to make change. Community-based learning is about questioning the status quo.
Kolb’s Cycle of Learning
The Community-based learning journey at Santa Clara University takes several forms.
Weekly Engagement Students engage directly with community members for approximately 2 hours a week during 8 weeks of the quarter. Project-based Students work on a specially developed project that addresses a community need and meets course learning objectives.
Community-based Learning: The Partnerships
Arrupe Partnerships Over 25 years at SCU providing a supportive structure. Staff work directly with community partners to establish weekly engagement opportunities for students, assist faculty in making appropriate connections to course, and assist students in the sign-up process.
Community Partners
Faculty Spanning various academic disciplines, faculty integrate cbl as either a requirement, or optional component for courses, and may be approved to meet the core curriculum requirement of Experiential Learning for Social Justice.
Community based Learning
Faculty outline clear learning objectives and integrate cbl via journaling, discussion groups, or other course assignments.
Close to 60 agencies/schools provide individual or small group direct interaction experiences for students with communities in need. On-site supervisors serve as co-educators and mentors to students. Community Partners may also serve as guest speakers in classes.
Students
Over 400 students per quarter participate approximately 16 total hours in the community as part of a course, or, in some cases, for personal desire to engage with the community.
Community-based Learning: Faculty and Community Partners
Faculty Expectations & Responsibilities Setting the Stage
Submit on-line request one to two quarters in advance of the quarter in which you will teach the course. Working out the details of a project and identifying appropriate community partners can take time. Provide us with a copy of your syllabus articulating the role of CBL in the course, whether participation is required or optional, and the assignments related to this experience. Discuss with a Program Director the placement options you would like to offer your students. Schedule First Class Visit for the Arrupe staff to provide information to your students about the logistics of participation on the first day of class. Visit one of the Community Partners. We are happy to facilitate this visit and accompany you.
Making the Link
Remind students of Arrupe quarterly procedures (sign-ups, mandatory orientations, EPR). Advise students who have not complied with procedures, and therefore are not registered through Arrupe. Support student learning and integration of community experience in terms of particular academic course or discipline. Read student feedback in Electronic Progress Report (EPR) and follow-up with students as needed. Seek advise or support from Arrupe staff or community partners, as needed. Collect Weekly Engagement Attendance Record at end of quarter.
One Step Further
Share exceptional student reflections or student projects with Arrupe staff. Participate in faculty workshops provided by Ignatian Center. Meet with Arrupe staff for post-evaluation of community-based learning.
Community Partners Expectations & Responsibilities Setting the Stage
Create opportunities for students where 80% of their time will be spent interacting face-to-face with community (usually 2 hours a week during 8 weeks of the quarter). Create opportunities for students to interact with communities that are struggling with issues of poverty, discrimination, marginalization. Provide a supervisor to be available as a community teacher on site when students are present. Work with Arrupe staff for quarterly sign-up sheets, and communicate changes to program, staff or calendar items that may impact students participation.
Making the Link
Co-facilitate an on-site orientation during the second week of the academic quarter. Support student engagement and learning on-site. Read students feedback in Electronic Progress Report (EPR) and follow-up with students as needed. Provide Arrupe with attendance confirmation when EPR is received. Communicate with Arrupe staff or faculty who facilitate, support, and trouble-shoot as necessary. Sign student Weekly Engagement Attendance Record and provide timely feedback.
One Step Further
Share exceptional student participation or student projects with Arrupe staff and faculty. Meet with Arrupe Staff at the end of year to evaluate and review placements. Participate in workshops provided by the Ignatian Center and SCU.
Community-based Learning: Weekly Engagement Setting the Stage ARRUPE
FACULTY
COMMUNITY PARTNERS
Create Sign-up Sheets
Submit On-line Faculty Request (1-2 quarters in advanced)
Confirm Participation Schedule
Update Information Sheets
Review appropriate placements
Confirm Orientation
Coordinate staffing for over 50 orientations
Confirm first-class visit
STUDENTS
Register for a CBL course
Making the Link: Week by Week Week 1
Conduct First Class Visits Assist students at Sign-ups
Allow time for Arrupe staff to conduct first class visit (15-20 min.)
Register for Arrupe Placement before 2pm Friday
Compare Arrupe roster to class roster Advise non-registered students
Week 2
Co-facilitate orientations
Attend orientations, whenever possible
Weeks 3-10
Work with Facilitate community-based partners in learning in classroom resolving issues, concerns. Visit community partners, ask Arrupe staff for support if needed.
Co-facilitate orientations
Attend mandatory orientations
Facilitate community-based learning in the community
Participate in community 2 hours each week.
Contact Arrupe staff for support, if needed.
Make up missed sessions.
Feedback and Wrap-Up Electronic Read students Progress feedback. Report (EPR) Reply to Week 6 concerns.
Read students feedback.
Read students feedback.
Complete on-line feedback form
Reply to concerns. Contact Arrupe staff for support.
Review roster for attendance confirmation. Reply to concerns. Contact Arrupe staff for support.
Weekly Attendance Record
Remind students to complete attendance records.
Assist students in completing attendance records
Week 10
Receive students Logs.
Assist faculty.
Contact agencies, or Arrupe staff, for questions.
Complete attendance records and provide to faculty at end of quarter
Community Partners Community/Family Theatre Teatro Corazon Day Worker Centers Day Worker Center of Mountain View Worker Center (San Jose) Education Alternative Education at Foothill High School (Pre-K and high school) Bachrodt Elementary Bellarmine College Prep Breakthrough Silicon Valley (high school) Bronco Urban Gardens (BUG) (K-5) Buchser Middle School BUILD (high school) Cabrillo Middle School CET Sobrato Vocational Training Center (Adult ESL) Downtown College Prep-Alameda (high school) Escuela Popular (high school) ESL at Santa Clara Adult Education (Adult ESL) Estrella Family Services (Pre-K - 3rd Grade) Gardner Academy Elementary GED at Santa Clara Adult Education (Adults) Grail Family Services (K-5) Migrant Educational Services (K-12) Nativity Schools of San Jose (middle school) Ocala Middle School: AVID Program Overfelt High School: AVID Program River Glen School: All Stars Program (K-8) Rocketship Mateo Sheedy Elementary San Jose Day Nursery Scott Lane Elementary Sacred Heart Education Center (K-7) Sunnyvale-Cupertino Adult Education (Adult ESL) Trace Elementary
Homeless Services Casa de Clara Cecil White/Montgomery Street Inn Georgia Travis/Commercial Street Inn Julian Street Inn Martha’s Kitchen Health and Disabilities Alzheimer’s Activity Center Capernaum Project HOPE Services Independence Network Mission Skilled Nursing Facility Morgan Autism Center Skills Plus White Blossom Care Center Immigration & Law CET Immigration and Citizenship Community Law Center Senior/Elderly Programs Alma Senior Center Gardner Community Center Iola Williams Senior Center Mayfair Community Center Yu-Ai Kai Multi-Service Agencies Catholic Charities (Children, Youth & Family, Focus for
Work, John XXIII, Refugee Services)
Sacred Heart Community Service
Faculty (represented by Academic Departments)
Anthropology Art & Art History Biology Communication Counseling Psychology Education English Environmental Studies and Sciences Ethnic Studies Experiential Learning for Social Justice LEAD Scholars Leavey School of Business
Liberal Studies Mathematics & Computer Science Modern Languages & Literatures Physics Political Science Psychology Public Health Science Religious Studies Sociology School of Engineering Theatre & Dance
About Us The Ignatian Center for Jesuit Education advances Santa Clara University’s Jesuit Catholic commitment to integrate faith, justice and the intellectual life on campus and beyond. As one of three Centers of Distinction at the University, the Ignatian Center touches the lives of students, faculty and staff and links the University with its important stakeholders through partnerships, scholarship, and community engagement to build a more humane, just, faith-filled, and sustainable world especially for those with the least access to education, power, and wealth. Its work is divided into three departments, the Arrupe Partnerships for Community-based Learning, the Bannan Institute for Jesuit Educational Mission, and the Kolvenbach Solidarity Program. The Arrupe Partnerships for Community-Based Learning was founded in 1986 as the Eastside Project by Sonny Manuel, S.J., Steven Privett, S.J. Dan Germann, S.J. and Peter Miron-Conk. Their goal was to establish a mutually beneficial partnership between Santa Clara University and the Eastside neighborhood of San Jose, California focused on social justice. The program was renamed in 2000 for Fr. Pedro Arrupe, S.J., former Superior General of the Society of Jesus who was instrumental in promoting the Jesuit mission of “faith that does justice.”
Staff Laurie Laird, Associate Director 408-554-5013, lalaird@scu.edu Rosa Guerra-Sarabia, Program Director 408-554-5011, rguerrasarabia@scu.edu Tam Hixson, Program Director 408-554-4641, thixson@scu.edu Susan Chun, Administrative Associate 408-554-4549, sechun@scu.edu www.scu.edu/ignatiancenter
Last issue updated: Fall 2011