The Community-Engaged Learning Office (CELO) is UVM's home for academic service-learning.
Our goal is to help students apply their learning on behalf of the many communities connected to UVM.
| 113 service- & civic-learning courses | 60 faculty taught SL / CL courses | 150+ community partners to SL / CL courses |
| 20% of all undergraduates took at least one SL / CL course in AY23 | 50.8% of 2023 graduating seniors took at least one SL / CL course during their UVM career | 24 academic departments offered SL / CL courses in AY23 |
Each year between 80-100 community-engaged learning courses are offered at UVM. These courses create meaningful partnerships among students, community partners, and faculty to provide students with hands-on learning in real-world situations while addressing community priorities.
The Faculty Fellows for Community-Engaged Learning program offers a cohort of faculty & staff from a range of disciplines the opportunity to explore community-engaged teaching. Throughout, faculty have opportunities to plan and workshop their own course ideas with peers and mentors.
Community-engaged learning courses can offer technical, logistical, analytical, educational, design, or clinical support to community partners. CELO works with community partners to create reciprocal learning opportunities that address their needs and priorities.
SLTAs assist faculty with the community-engaged component of a course, and help students connect their service or community-engaged work to the learning goals of the course. SLTAs might coordinate community partners, facilitate discussion and critical reflection, or assist with project management.
CELO offers workshops for faculty (whether experienced in or new to community-engaged teaching), as well as for departments and other academic units. We also offer visits and in-course workshops for students once a course is established, on topics such as critical reflection and transferable skills.
CELO offers resources such as sample syllabi, partnership agreements, critical reflections tools, and other supports to help faculty build reciprocal community partnerships and implement their community-engaged courses more effectively. We also maintain a comprehensive Resource Library in our office, Harris-Millis 109.
Every year, CELO recognizes outstanding faculty, students, and community partners for their work in creating meaningful and community-engaged learning opportunities for students that benefit communities in Vermont and beyond.
