Engaged College Initiative
Cornell Human Ecology partners with the David M. Einhorn Center for Community Engagement to recognize, support and advance community-engaged learning throughout the college. Human Ecology has been at the vanguard of public engagement throughout its history and the Engaged College Initiative, launched in fall 2020, continues our investment in research and teaching that connects student learning to community impact.
Criteria for community-engaged learning experiences
Need
Students are responding to a community-identified need, problem, or public concern.
Partnership
Students work with and learn from community partners.
Connection
The project connects and integrates community-engaged experiences with disciplinary learning.
Reflection
Students participate in critical reflection on their community-engaged experiences.
Student opportunities for community engagement
CHE undergraduates have many opportunities to participate in community-engaged learning.
An introduction to the principles of community engagement is integrated into the core curriculum of the college. Students are encouraged to seek out courses that are tagged as “Community” in the course roster system, which indicates that community-engaged learning is part of the coursework.
Students looking for deeper engagement with community organizations can participate in programs that offer experience in research, practice and professional development in partnership with community.
Students’ community-engaged learning accomplishments are recognized by the Human Ecology Community-Engaged Reflection Award. This award celebrates students who write a short essay about a meaningful learning experience with a community partner during their time in the college. Winners receive funding for their community partner organization and an additional award for themselves.
“Through stepping out of my comfort zone and creating nutrition lessons, nutrition handouts, and developing recipes, I have learned to engage with different audiences and see their needs through their perspective by having fruitful conversations. Learning about what translational research is has motivated me to begin programs by partnering with community organizations to create something that has never been done before. Through the support and encouragement of mentors and professors at Human Ecology, I now see that the change I wish to see begins with me.”
— Jasmine Guarin (NS, ’24), past winner of the Human Ecology Community-Engaged Reflection Award
Supporting faculty in community-engaged research and teaching
By integrating classroom and co-curricular learning with community engagement, CHE faculty prepare students to lead lives of contribution. Faculty are invited to apply to funding to help create, enhance or sustain community-engaged learning opportunities for undergraduates in the college.
Please contact CHE's engaged learning coordinator, kce28 [at] cornell.edu (Kristen Elmore), with questions about the Engaged College Initiative and community-engaged learning opportunities.
CHE community-engaged learning leadership team
- Rachel Dunifon, Dean
- Anthony Burrow, Associate Dean for Extension and Outreach
- Marianella Casasola, Senior Associate Dean for Undergraduate Affairs
- Nancy Wells, Senior Associate Dean for Research and Graduate Education
- Kristen Elmore, Engaged Learning Coordinator
Please contact CHE's engaged learning coordinator, kce28 [at] cornell.edu (Kristen Elmore), with questions about the Engaged College Initiative and community-engaged learning opportunities.