The Davis Education Foundation's "Embedded Experiential Learning Across the Curriculum" grant is intended to deepen learning for all members of Amherst’s diverse student body by embedding experiential learning opportunities throughout the curriculum. Funding is available to support existing courses and assignments and to develop new ones.
The CCE provides resources for faculty interested in incorporating community-based learning into their teaching and research.
Students apply key knowledge and course content to community settings, using it to explore and address complex questions and test their own ideas and understanding.
Activities such as field trips and community-based projects offer students the opportunity to practice key skills (e.g., ethnographic research, writing, observational research, and working in partnership with peers and community members).
Community-based learning and projects help students recognize the ways in which their work impacts the lives of others, and inspires them to be accountable both in and outside of the classroom.
From courses designed around a semester-long project to field trips that introduce students to the local community, CCE staff can help imagine the possibilities, facilitate connections with partners, assist with project development, and/or provide direct support for course activities.
CCE staff guide faculty as they navigate administrative systems and serve as partners as they plan and implement their courses.
Funding is available to support:
During the 2023-2024 academic year, funding of up to $2,500 per course is available from the CCE for community-based learning courses. Faculty members interested in requesting funding should email cce@amherst.edu with a description of the class and a budget request. Department staff will work with faculty members to fully fund each course (from a range of sources across campus) and ensure that students have the resources they need to fully participate in the class.
CCE staff can also assist with logistical support for community-based courses.
The CCE offers resources designed to help students link analysis and action through:
For grant proposals that include impact or community components, CCE staff can help faculty explore possibilities and make connections with community partners.
The CCE can guide students as they move from idea to action – this includes projects students envision or begin in a course and want to continue beyond the end of the semester.
Sarah Barr
Director
sbarr@amherst.edu
(413) 542-2982
Zoë Jacobs Feinstein
Associate Director
zjacobs@amherst.edu
(413) 542-2972
Christina Santana
Associate Director of Community Learning
csantana@amherst.edu
(413) 542-5641
Center for Community Engagement
Converse Hall, Suite 202
https://www.amherst.edu/academiclife/experiential-learning/cce