Interested in teaching a Community-based Learning course? Start here.
A Community-based Learning (CBL) course is a credit-bearing educational experience that integrates meaningful community service with guided reflection to enhance students’ understanding of course content as well as their sense of civic responsibility. More than 100 CBL courses are taught at UW-Madison every year.
Starting a Community-based Learning Course
Faculty and instructional staff can create a Community-based Learning course as a brand new offering or add a CBL component can to an existing course. The Morgridge Center for Public Service is here to help guide faculty and instructional staff through the process, answer any questions and offer funding opportunities. Contact Community-Engaged Scholarship Specialist Haley Madden at hmadden@wisc.edu to consult further on curriculum development, course designation process and community partnership-building.
Support high-quality Community-based Learning
To support high-quality community-based learning (CBL) experiences for community partners and students, the Morgridge Center for Public Service is now requiring that all courses with the CBL attribute preparation students prior to community engagement each semester through one of the following methods:
- Working with Cory Sprinkel (the Community Engagement Preparation Specialist), a CBL intern, or another Morgridge Center intern who can provide such preparation in class, or
- Utilizing our online training materials, or
- Providing us with evidence of your own preparation materials and follow-up discussion prompts; we recognize that many instructors are already providing training for students around topics of systems of oppression and privilege, community-university relationships, and cultural humility, and as such would not need to alter their course since this training is currently embedded in it
Please consider which option is the best fit for your course. To access our online training materials, please contact Cory at sprinkel@wisc.edu. If you have any questions or concerns, please reach out. As you make your decision about preparation methods, please reach out to Community-Engaged Scholarship Specialist Haley Madden at hmadden@wisc.edu to move forward with your selection.