The Center for Community Collaboration (CCC) is committed to supporting faculty who integrate community partnerships in their teaching as community-based learning or in their research as community-based participatory research. The CCC also encourages and promotes the diverse ways that the Smith staff and faculty become involved in other community partnerships. Look for more information soon about a new concentration being developed by faculty in collaboration with the CCC.
Community-Based Learning
Community-based learning (CBL), recognized by the American Association of Colleges and Universities as one of 10 high-impact educational practices, not only contributes to stronger communities and engages students in learning about their roles as citizens but also fosters deeper academic engagement, as students apply course content in actual experience in the community.
Community-Based Participatory Research
Bringing the benefits of world-class scholarship to a collaborative relationship, researchers engaged in community-based participatory research (CBPR) have achieved remarkable outcomes. Smith faculty have found that community collaborations enrich research on topics ranging from language assessment to science education, and in courses as diverse as the Engineering Design Clinic and Feminisms and the Fate of the Planet.
Faculty Outreach
Faculty and staff across the campus and across disciplines share academic resources and the results of their research with neighbors and community partners. Every year, elementary and high school groups and other students visit science labs, the botanic gardens and the art museum. Some faculty participate in the college’s outreach efforts, such as teaching high school students in the Summer Science and Engineering Program. Many faculty members collaborate with communities on the results of their scholarship, for example, by sharing their environmental knowledge with children in communities near coral reefs.
CCC Moodle
The CCC Moodle page contains information about developing CBL and CBPR projects, relevant workshops and conferences and links to national Web sites with resources. Users log in to Moodle with their Groupwise username and password.
Contact Us
The CCC supports faculty and staff by helping them make connections with community partners, supporting student placements and more. Please contact us to learn more about how we can support your teaching and research.
