Community-Based Learning

The Weissman Center’s Community-Based Learning (CBL) program connects academic work and purposeful engagement with the world. It links Mount Holyoke College students with communities through courses, independent studies, internships, research and service projects that combine learning and analysis with action and social change. Students learn about communities and learn to apply ideas, theories, and models to social issues in a practical context while gaining insights from practitioners in communities and in community-based organiztions (CBOs).

Mount Holyoke College’s CBL program fosters sustainable, mutually beneficial campus-community relationships to support learning, research, and service.  CBL courses follow research- and practice-based principles of best practice in community engagement.
Along with enhancing students’ understanding of public concerns, CBL aims to foster leadership, citizenship, and advocacy skills.

Perhaps the best way to understand CBL is to see us in action. Take a look at Beyond This Green: Liberal Learning through Community Partnerships, a short film created by our students. Download the video (Quicktime/mp4 format).

Students can become involved in the CBL program as:

• Community Fellows, who are paid to work up to 10 hours per week in local community-based organizations;
• (New) CBL Fellows, who conduct credit-bearing, independent research in collaboration with faculty and staff at Mount Holyoke College and partnering CBOs;
• CBL Students take CBL Courses in which credit-bearing academic work includes a community-based learning component;
• CBL Mentors, who work with faculty members teaching CBL courses and provide support for individual and group CBL projects and outreach;
• CBL Administrative Fellows, who work in the CBL program office and support events, workshops, and various CBL programs and projects.

Faculty members and College departments/programs are invited to develop CBL courses, curricula, community-based research projects (CBR) for faculty and student scholarship, in consultation with Alan Bloomgarden, Coordinator of Community-Based Learning.  The coordinator offers practical support through CBL program resources, as well as substantive guidance and an extensive library of materials including: sample syllabi, assessment and evaluation tools, reflection and discussion exercises, models of good practice, and curricular development guides.

Community Based Organizations are invited to propose CBL projects suitable for students and faculty in courses, independent learning, research and service, for ongoing or one-time partnerships by contacting Alan Bloomgarden, Coordinator of Community-Based Learning.  Email: abloomga@mtholyoke.edu, phone: 413-538-3072.