Through experiential learning in the classroom and service in the community, community-connected teaching & research uses real-world experiences to foster civic responsibility in the tradition of a liberal arts education. Community-connected teaching provides further depth to students' exploration of themselves, as citizens and future leaders, and the non-profit arena. The program reflects the leading role that Middlebury College students play as active citizens, both locally and globally.
The ACE office considers community-connected teaching and research to be a powerful pedagogical tool engaging faculty, staff, and community members. Please contact Tiffany Sargent if you are interested in developing a course that incorporates a community-based component.
Funding
The Academic Outreach Endowment Fund provides financial support to students and faculty who wish to pursue service-learning opportunities and build community involvement into academic coursework.
Other Resources
Click here to read about current and past community-connected courses.
Visit the ACE office to borrow from its extensive collection of related resources, or find more resources on the web from the Campus Compact section on service-learning.
In the News
Read New York Times coverage of the 2008 fall term course taught by John Elder, College Professor in English and American Literature (and Environmental Studies), Portrait of a Vermont Town, and the students' work with community members in Starksboro, VT.
Assistant Professor of Psychology Suzanne Gurland's statistics course contributes data to help local organizaton determine need in Addison County (VT) for a proposed new hospice respite home reports local Addison Independent.
Students engage in climate change research and affect institutional policy change through an array of Environmental Studies courses and committee work as reported by ABC News.