Community-Engaged Learning at the University of Minnesota
Community-engaged learning students differ from other volunteers in a few important ways. Most notably, their work with your organization is connected to a University of Minnesota course. Because of this, their availability is often more structured and time-limited. Many community-engaged learning students volunteer approximately 2–3 hours per week during a single academic semester. Since semesters move quickly, it is important to connect students to meaningful, clearly defined activities as early as possible. Partnering with the University of Minnesota allows community organizations to collaborate with students and faculty who are committed to thoughtful, skill-based engagement that aligns community priorities with academic learning. Community-engaged learning students also have specific learning goals tied to their coursework. In this model, community partners serve as co-educators by helping students apply what they are learning in the classroom to real-world contexts. This distinguishes community-engaged learning from volunteer experiences that are not connected to an academic course. To support student learning, we encourage host organizations to familiarize themselves with the course focus when possible and to engage students in simple reflection conversations during their time with your organization. These moments of reflection help students deepen their learning while strengthening the partnership between the University and the community.
