Community-Engaged Learning

Throughout the semester we will be catching up with Aspen [pseudonym], a student of this course to get an in-depth look at the experience of SOCI 439. We can learn a lot from Aspen’s experience, which has not been an entirely positive one. Navigating CEL has not been straightforward for her and the community partner she’s working with. Aspen was looking forward to this class, “I learned a lot in a classroom, but I felt this is the coolest opportunity to do something outside of the classroom too.” Particularly she was looking forward to getting to do work on the ground; however, with Covid-19, many students have had to do their CEL projects remotely. But Aspen was still looking forward to helping a community partner with work they needed to be done. However, when meeting with her community partner from September through December, there was not see a clear path.

The project she proposed was not of interest to the community partner, and the project the community partner proposed had essentially already been finished. Aspen felt as though she was a burden to the community partner, and like the community partner was just searching for things to occupy her. It made her feel like she was not being creative enough. She expressed how she would have preferred to work with a community partner that was clear about what they needed from her, saying “I was expecting to help where help was needed.” This concept of “help” can often be a hindrance in community-engaged learning initiatives (Stanlick & Sell, 2016). On the bright side, moving into the new semester, it seems like Aspen and her community partner may have found a solution, and we’ll find out more in future blog posts.

Seeing that Aspen’s experience has been challenging, it was curious as to why she stayed in SOCI439 for the second semester. Aspen described that even though her experience has not been fantastic, it has still been a positive experience. In particular, Aspen shared that “I would still say this is my favourite class just because of how it’s just such a safe space when everyone comes in.” It has been a comfortable space where she has connected with her peers and where the professor, Dr. Bruce Ravelli, has created a supportive environment for his students. Even with an unconventional experience with her community partner, Aspen said “never once have I worried about this affecting my grade.” It’s all a part of the learning process! While Aspen’s path has been windier than others, she has learned a lot from the hiccups because now she will be prepared for when things do not go smoothly in the future. Not all CEL experiences are picture-perfect, but as Aspen has the experience, there are still valuable lessons in unconventional experiences. To wrap up with Aspen’s words, “It sounds cliché and cheesy, but the process of it not going great is something that is a huge takeaway for me.”