Civic Engagement

Faculty interested in community-connected teaching, learning, and research will find Civic Engagement programs in EIA a resource for funding, potential community partners, and strategies for success.

Community-Connected Teaching and Learning

Connecting the classroom with the community deepens students' understanding of complex issues and their understanding of themselves as citizens. Bringing real-world experiences into the classroom is a powerful pedagogical tool engaging faculty, students, and community members in the process. The program reflects the leading role that Middlebury College students play as active citizens, both locally and globally. For ideas of potential community partners, click here.

Contact Civic Engagement director Tiffany Nourse Sargent '79 if you are interested in developing a course that incorporates a community-based component.

Community-Connected Teaching and 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 a local organization 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.

Funding

The Academic Outreach Endowment Fund provides financial support to both faculty and students for pursuits that involve community-connected teaching, learning, and research. Examples of these kinds of approaches include service-learning, community-based learning, participatory action research, and more. Grants are awarded at a maximum of $4,000, and typically range between $2,000–$3,000. Application information is sent via e-mail in early March. Applications from both individuals and teams will be considered; team members may include faculty adviser(s), student(s), Middlebury staff, community partner(s), and other participants. For more information, contact Tiffany Nourse Sargent '79.

Volunteer Resources

Please contact Tiffany Nourse Sargent '79 if you are interested in connecting part of a course with the community.