Community-Based Learning

Foster public good through art, science and industry

Food and Land Security in Philadelphia connects with Black and Latinx neighbors advocating for access to affordable, nutritious foods.

The course Food and Land Security in Philadelphia connects with Black and Latinx neighbors advocating for access to affordable, nutritious foods.

Drexel College of Arts and Sciences students don’t just study the issues affecting the world — they study alongside the people affected. Each term, the College encourages students to become effective change agents by participating with non-profits, government and citizen activists through community-based learning courses: Food and Land Security in Philadelphia; Connections in Biology; Justice in Our Community; Prison, Society and You; Writing for Social Change; Writers Room Experience and Introduction to Queer and Trans Studies are just a few of the intensive options created by our faculty.

All first-year students at Drexel University are introduced to the concepts of civic engagement and social justice by taking CIVC 101, a foundational course designed by the Lindy Center for Civic Engagement. College of Arts and Sciences faculty work closely with the Lindy Center and the Dornsife Center for Neighborhood Partnerships to build community connections and immersive academic experiences so that every student will recognize the benefits of public service to their education, their career and to society.

CIVC 101 – ABOUT LINDY CENTER DORNSIFE CENTER OUR STORIES

Community-Based Learning Courses – Winter Term 2023-2024

The Lindy Center for Civic Engagement supports Community-Based and Community-Engaged learning courses that allow students, faculty and local/global partners to 'do good' while leveraging their collective capacity to address real problems and build a more just world. Students across majors often continue to take courses with a Community-Based/Community-Engaged Learning component to deepen their insight and expand on the foundations established by taking CIVC 101.

Below is a sample of recent community-based and community-engaged learning courses taught by faculty in the College of Arts and Sciences.

College	Course #	CRN	Course Title	Instructor	Date/Time	Location
CoAS	GST 341	24873	Organization of American States	Maria de la luz Matus-Mendoza	Tuesday and Thursday 4:00pm-5:50pm	Community-Engaged Learning
Course Description This course is designed to prepare a diplomatic delegation of Drexel students representing a country in the Western Hemisphere to participate at a Model Organization of American States (WMOAS) in Washington, D.C. on April 8-12, 2024. The goals are (1) to acquire political, social, and economic knowledge of the represented country, which changes every year, and the Western Hemisphere, and (2) to prepare students to be able to use diplomatic protocol to participate at the Model OAS in Washington. This course is taught as a Global Classroom and a Community Based Learning class.

College	Course #	CRN	Course Title	Instructor	Date/Time	Location
CoAS	WRIT 315	24048	Writing for Social Change	Liz Kimball	Monday and Wednesday 12:30pm-1:50pm	Community-Engaged Learning
Course Description Focusing on current social issues, students will explore the history and legacy of a particular social issue and learn from those working to change it. Students will write to reflect on the dimensions of change, practice with professional genres, and gather support to address the issue. This is a side-by-side, community-based learning course. Drexel students will work alongside staff from UESF, a Philadelphia organization committed to a holistic, preventive, and cost-efficient approach to assisting vulnerable families impacted by housing crises. On Mondays, the class will meet on Drexel's campus. On Wednesdays, the class will meet off-campus (1608 Walnut Street--UESF conference room).

College	Course #	CRN	Course Title	Instructor	Date/Time	Location
CoAS	WRIT 305	23684	Life Is Beautiful	Kenneth Bingham	Thursdays 3:30pm-4:50pm	Community-Based Learning
Course Description This community partnership course links memoir with life, story-telling, and dying. Specifically, the course partners students with local hospice patients to co-create a life-story for the patient and his or her family. Students learn interviewing, listening, and writing techniques as well as skills in analysis and presentation. Additionally, the course facilitates interactions with the community and helps students to see themselves as linked to a community outside of college.

College	Course #	CRN	Course Title	Instructor	Date/Time	Location
CoAS	CJS 261-001	23697	Prison, Society, and You	Cyndi Rickards	Thursdays 12:30pm-4:20pm	Community Based Learning
Course Description This course utilizes the Inside-Out Prison Exchange Program to explore the relationship between individuals and the prison system. The Inside-Out Exchange Program is an evolving set of projects that creates opportunities for dialogue between those on the outside and those on the inside of the nation’s correctional facilities. The program demonstrates the potential for dynamic collaborations between institutions of higher education and correctional institutions. Most importantly, through this unique exchange, Inside-Out, this course seeks to deepen the conversation and transform ways of thinking about crime and justice (Crabbe, Pompa, 2004).

College	Course #	CRN	Course Title	Instructor	Date/Time	Location
CoAS	SPAN 440	24878	Spanish for Community-Conscious Engagement	Octavio Borges-Delgado	Thursdays 1:00pm-3:50pm	Community Engaged Learning
Course Description This course is designed to empower students with the language skills and cultural knowledge necessary to meaningfully engage in community outreach, service, or work within Spanish-speaking communities. This class goes beyond traditional language instruction, emphasizing real-world application and cultural competency. It focuses on fostering a thoughtful and aware approach to community engagement. Through interactive lessons and field experiences, students will develop the linguistic and cultural proficiency needed to communicate effectively, yet sensitively, while working, volunteering, or serving in Spanish-speaking environments. Whether participating in social outreach programs, educational projects, or healthcare initiatives, students will gain the confidence to bridge language barriers, thus fostering stronger connections and deeper understanding within the communities they serve. Taught in Spanish.

College	Course #	CRN	Course Title	Instructor	Date/Time	Location
CoAS	WGST 201	25068	Introduction to Feminisms	Jennifer Yusin	Tuesdays 4:30-4:50pm	Community-Based Learning
Course Description Feminisms are movements to understand and critique gender relations and gender oppression, and also attempts to construct positive visions of human freedom and ethical action in an unjust world. This course is an introduction to the history of feminisms. The major movements that make up feminism in the modern era, in both the U.S. and abroad, will be examined.

College	Course #	CRN	Course Title	Instructor	Date/Time	Location
CoAS	CHIN 202	23600	Chinese V	Hechun Ping	Tuesdays and Thursdays 6:00-7:50pm	Community-Engaged Learning
Course Description This course offers students a unique opportunity for collaboration and engagement through language exchange and mutual learning with Chinese-speaking seniors at the Philadelphia Senior Center. Through virtual conversations and a field trip, students will utilize Chinese language to provide English for local Chinese-speaking elderly individuals, and gain insights into the lives and cultures of local immigrants. The course aims to enhance cross-cultural language communication skills.

Community-Based Learning: Our Stories

Steve Vásquez Dolph, PhD (right) recently joined Dean David Brown, PhD for the second installment of his Discussions with the Dean series.

Discussions with the Dean: Meet Associate Dean of DEI & Global Studies Professor Steve Vásquez Dolph

Associate Teaching Professor of Spanish and Associate Dean of Diversity, Equity, and Inclusion Steve Vásquez Dolph, PhD, recently sat down with Dean David Brown, PhD to discuss the importance of community-based learning, language education, diversity in higher education and more.

Students in Food and Land Security community-based learning course

Community-Based Learning Course Gets Up Close With Philadelphia’s Food Crisis

Food and Land Security in Philadelphia, an intensive community-based learning course offered each year in the College of Arts and Sciences, explores an urgent issue affecting our community alongside the people who are impacted.

Students discussing African small businesses in West Philly

'West Africa to West Philly' Course Connects Language With Community

A French course has brought together students and West Philadelphia's native French-speaking West African community, both in and out of the classroom. Students came from different majors and countries to speak and write in French with native speakers and consume Francophone West African works of literature and film in this community-based class.

Writers Room co-op student Jeremy D'Amico

Finding Your Place in the Community with Writers Room

When Jeremy D’Amico, political science ’24, decided to come to Drexel, he didn’t think much about what living in a city like Philadelphia would involve. He quickly became absorbed in his studies and paid little attention to the community surrounding campus—until he started a co-op with Writers Room.

Coco's Fire: the book authors and illustrators

Let’s Talk About Climate Anxiety

Lately, there has been a lot of talk all over the world about the birds and the bees — that is, how they are impacted by the environmentally devastating effects of climate change and how humans play a role in this process. Many of us want to know how we can voice those scary feelings about the health of our planet and then transform them into positive action. While it is an important and timely topic to discuss, sometimes having this talk can be a challenge, especially with children. So, the Academy reached out to children’s book authors Lena Champlin and Jeremy Wortzel to learn more about their work, Coco’s Fire: Changing Climate Anxiety Into Climate Action, and how we can start this very important conversation with our peers and young friends.

Community Partners

The list below is a brief overview of community partners dedicated to providing our students with immersive learning experiences.