Reaching Out Beyond the Classroom

Carleton has such a wide variety of course selections, but some of my favorites have been the ACE or Applied Civic Engagement courses. Right now, I’m in AMST 215: Contemplating Local Commuter and Passenger Rail. One of the main goals of the course is to reach out to the local community to not only learn from experts but also listen to the thoughts and concerns of Northfield residents. 

Field Trip!

Even in the beginning of this class, we got out of the classroom to get hands-on experiences. The historic train depot has been refurbished into a museum in town, and one of our classes was actually conducted inside of it. We learned about the history of the depot, and how the town came together to move and restore it to its former state. It was really inspiring to see how the citizens of Northfield worked together, whether it was to fill in nail holes on a weekend or provide documents for the historical archive. As an out-of-state student, I’ve started to really feel connected to my new hometown. 

Community Outreach

But the point of an ACE course is to get out and talk to people. We wouldn’t be honoring that by sticking to classroom-based learning. One important aspect of our class is gauging public opinion. On a few Saturdays, we went to the downtown farmers market and set up a booth to record what people had to say about the potential of a train in Northfield. I met so many different people from different walks of life who all had something to teach me. Although the lectures and readings helped me build a foundation, the community outreach has helped me build on that and take the skills from inside the classroom to the real world.

What’s Going on Now?

My group’s final project is going to consist of even more community outreach. We want to survey Carleton students and see how we can reduce the number of cars on campus. We want to continue our methods of talking to people and collecting data from them. Other groups are using the data from the farmer’s markets to figure out what the public wants to know. They are going to conduct independent, archival-based research and make their final product accessible for members of the public. 

Even though ACE courses are not a graduation requirement, I think every Carleton student should consider taking one. These classes not only serve the community, but they serve your soul too! Whether it’s a topic you already know a lot about, or something you’ve never heard of, ACE courses offer an opportunity to learn in a completely new way (and maybe even make some new friends along the way!)

Kate (she/her) is a sophomore from the Bay Area, California. She loves Carleton’s artsy community, and is involved in both the Theater and Dance department and Vocal Studies Program. Kate’s favorite places on campus are the practice rooms, either in Myers or the Weitz, where she is often making music with her friends. When not in class, you can find Kate either walking in the arb or forcing her friends to watch bad movies in a study room.