Types of Civic Engagement
Preparing Community-Based Learning Students
Service Site Leaders
Special Concerns
Forms
Types of Civic Engagement
Our definition of civic engagement includes a variety of public service activities. We promote social responsibility by facilitating what we call community-based experiential learning. Through collaboration with the community we improve the public good and quality of life for local and global communities. Our consistent relations with our partners address social issues impacting the region. Beyond facilitating community-based experiential learning, we also promote volunteer initiatives and philanthropic work among students at the University.
Community-based Experiential Learning: Students learn about real-world issues through active engagement within a community setting. Like any other project or reading assignment, a student’s community service involvement is an integral component of a specific course given for academic credit. We distinguish between community-based learning and volunteering because students engaged in course-based community service are required to demonstrate a particular skill or complete projects in relation to specific instructional objectives which are assessed by a college instructor in order to be given course credit.
Most of the students served by the Center for Civic Engagement are doing community-based experiential learning. However, we can promote--using our online database--projects that do not meet the above expectations such as:
Volunteering: Any opportunity providing direct service to a not-for-profit organization. This type of civic engagement is optional for Drexel students and is not connected with academic credit or an academic assignment.
Philanthropy: Altruistic work to support a charitable cause or organization within the community, nationwide or worldwide. This may be raising money through 5-K runs, bake sales, or other fundraising projects.
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Preparing Community-Based Learning Students
Because doing civic engagement in a new community can be daunting for someone from a different mindset or culture, we seek to prepare the students that we place into civic engagement assignments as part of their public service requirement in their UNIV 101 course. For most of our students, this is their first experience in civic engagement of any kind on our campus.
What we do to prepare our students: We want to provide community partners with students who are ready to interact respectfully with community residents and who understand the realities of the community. The Center for Civic Engagement hosts Orientations to the Community for students that addresses intercultural competencies, how to interact with diverse communities, and why civic engagement is necessary, meaningful and important.
What you can do to prepare our students: For our students, understanding your organizational mission is paramount to understanding your role in the community and why they are needed as volunteers (or in their case, community-based experiential learning students). Although, we post information about our partners in our database, we ask that when our students arrive to serve, please give them an orientation to their service, the kinds of work you do in the community, and how volunteers make a difference at your organization.
Furthermore, if your organization can offer workshops on being more engaged, on a specific service issue, or on any other topic that would make the student volunteering or community-based learning experience more meaningful, we will work with you to host such an event on our campus. Also, we invite you to participate in reflection sessions we host on campus to provide a complete experience for our students.
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Service Site Leaders
The Center for Civic Engagement seeks to meet the needs of community partners in a way that increases your capacity while fulfilling our mission of promoting social responsibility and public service. Through the Drexel Community Scholars program that is run through our office, supported by the Federal Community Service Work-Study program and the AmeriCorps Scholars in Service to Pennsylvania program, the CCE will place Drexel students in long term positions to help build sustained relationships with community partners that have been identified as suitable placements.
How does it work?
The needs of most community organizations are such that a short-term service project can both hinder the programming of the organization and leave our students less empowered through their service. In order to lessen the burden on the community partner and provide a better experience for our students, we recruit and train students with strong histories and commitments to civic engagement so that they help build capacity of community partners while helping to orient Drexel University student volunteers to an organization, ultimately leading to a quality experience and greater student retention.
How do I get a Service Site Leader?
We have identified organizations for the coming year and are willing to increase placements as we recruit more students as Drexel Community Scholars. The criteria for matching DCS with community partners include the demonstrated level of need, the proximity to our campus, and the volume of student volunteers that had served that organization over the course of the last school year. Our goal for next year is to continue to identify organizations--especially those in the 19104 zip code--with a demonstrated need for a student leader to serve as a liaison, helping to facilitate greater involvement of Drexel students at that site or with that organization. If this opportunity appeals to you or to discuss recruiting a site leader for your organization, contact Thomas Dahan, tad42@drexel.edu or 215 895 6284.
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Special Concerns
Volunteers are very different from students engaged in community-based learning. Volunteers are free to choose where they want to serve and the scope of their service, limited only by interest, time and volunteer requirements set by your organization. Community-based learning students are required to interact in the community as part of their course. Therefore, the Center for Civic Engagement is seeking the most challenging, interactive and meaningful placements for these students.
What that involves: In order for the CCE to approve the opportunities you want posted for volunteers and for community-based service assignments on our database, we need to conduct a preliminary site visit that ensures we have information about your organization including contact information, site evaluation and determination that your organization meets our criteria regarding the safety of our students and for community-based service assignments, the learning objectives we have established as part of our civic engagement program.
Furthermore, the Center for Civic Engagement primarily partners with CBOs that:
• Can help us to promote the ideals of social responsibility, public service or civic engagement
• Are non-profit organizations, community/recreation centers, or schools
• Have a well defined mission statement or purpose
• Are located in the Philadelphia region, particularly in West Philadelphia along the Lancaster Avenue Corridor
• Have their own offices or a well defined space where our students will serve (such as a community center, park, school, etc.)
• Offer meaningful, positive experiences—both educational and social—that will enhance the education of our students and promote our mission
• Provide a unique experience for student involvement
• Can provide a contact person to serve as the liaison between the CCE and your organization
In order to Schedule a Site Visit please fill out one of our Volunteer Request Forms and our Program Director for Community Outreach will contact you!
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Forms
Volunteer Request Form
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