We support faculty who develop and teach community-engaged learning (CEL) courses (PDF), as well as those undertaking research on innovative community-engaged teaching and learning experiences. We offer experienced and new CEL instructors course consultations, support with securing student placements, and course promotion. We administer CEL course surveys and a small Community Partner Engagement Fund.
Contact Heather Hermant, Lead Coordinator, Academic Initiatives to discuss your needs.
- Course consultations
We can assist you with design of CEL courses and development of CEL course syllabi, informed by latest best practices, scholarship and teaching tools. We also offer research advice for your existing practices and courses across institutions and disciplines.
- Placement finding
We can assist you with finding community partners for your CEL courses. We provide access to our network of community partners in the not-for-profit and volunteer sectors, school boards, and governments in the GTA and Peel Region. We help to broker relationships and to work with you and the community partners to create mutually beneficial learning outcomes.
Please complete a Request for Partnership Proposal (RFPP) (DOCX) and submit it to heather.hermant@utoronto.ca.
We use the information you provide to inform which community partners we approach about your course. Once submitted, we will work with you to develop an outreach strategy to potential community partners. We typically need a full term’s advance notice to support community partnership development. Instructors who are new to CEL should book a course consultation prior to submitting the RFPP.
RFPP Deadlines
- Fall and full-year courses: first week of May
- Spring courses: first week of September
- Summer courses: first week of January
- CEL Course surveys
We administer an anonymous student CEL course survey. Each spring we return aggregated results of your students’ data to you for your own use. Interested faculty must circulate the survey link to their students. The data we collect is essential to our efforts to report on, and advocate for the value of community-engaged learning at the University of Toronto.
We also survey CEL course instructors about their CEL teaching experiences, which assists us with shaping the services, programs and resources we design for CEL faculty.
- Course promotion
We use our campus-wide communications channels—CCP website, listservs, newsletters and posters—to promote your course to students.
- Community Partner Engagement Fund
The purpose of the Community Partner Engagement Fund is to strengthen community partner engagement, deepen existing relationships with community partners and show gratitude to community partners for their investment in student learning.
We offer modest funding to support faculty teaching Community-Engaged Learning courses. Faculty teaching CEL courses may apply for up to $250.
In our current physical distancing context of remote learning, eligible types of expenses include honoraria for community partner course consultation and for community partners as guest lecturers. Expenses for events and activities that bring together community partners and students; and community partners’ transportation costs will become eligible should in-person learning activities resume at the university.
Please see the application form for more on eligibility.
CEL Support Resources
We offer a range of resources for faculty interested in CEL, including a CEL Faculty Sharepoint, an on-site library and tipsheets, bibliographies and guides. We keep faculty up to date on latest resources, events and opportunities through our Faculty Newsletter.
Newsletter: Our Faculty Newsletter helps keep you up to date with events and initiatives at the Centre for Community Partnerships and highlights new resources, scholarship and opportunities for CEL. Subscribe to the Faculty Newsletter.
CEL Guides for Instructors:
- Community-engaged learning, defined (PDF)
- Community-engaged learning in online spaces: A guide for instructors (PDF)
- Community partnerships and CEL Course strategies in COVID Times: A Guide for Instructors (PDF)
- A bibliography of CEL-related publications by University of Toronto instructors (PDF)
Sharepoint: Our CEL Faculty Sharepoint is a repository of sample syllabi, course design resources, critical reflection tools and specific examples of activities, exercises and assignments that you can implement so that your students make deeper meaning of their experiences. Contact heather.hermant@utoronto.ca for access to the Sharepoint repository.
CEL library at the CCP: We offer access to our library of books, journals and manuals and our network of national and international associations and clearing houses. Visit the CCP at 569 Spadina Avenue, Suite 315.