What we’re about
Place-based, experiential learning beyond campus
Reciprocal community-campus collaborations
Publicly-engaged scholarship, leadership, and action
Our Learning Objectives
- DIG into COMPLEXITY
Understand issues in their real world complexity - BRIDGE THEORY & PRACTICE
Apply academic knowledge beyond the classroom through hands-on learning - LEARN from a DIVERSITY of KNOWERS
Recognize and honor different forms of knowledge that may reside in/with community partners - LEAD with PURPOSE
Strengthen leaderships abilities through public participation - REFLECT CRITICALLY
Deepen awareness of one’s positionality in civic engagement efforts, such as gender, race, and socioeconomic background - MAKE a COMMITMENT
Nurture a commitment to life-long civic engagement
What we do
Through academic courses, student jobs, volunteerism, internships, and civic initiatives, we foster meaningful partnerships and hands-on experiences that deepen learning and strengthen communities.
Academic Civic Engagement Courses
Community-Based Work Study
Student Leadership & Community Volunteerism
But wait, there’s more!
- Alternative Spring Break Trips
- Broom Fellowship for Public Scholarship (for faculty)
- CarlsVote Voter Education & Engagement
- Certified Nursing Assistant (CNA) Training Program
- Community-Based Summer Internships
- Community Conversations Dialogue Program
- Lighten Up! Campus Garage Sale
- Wellstone House of Organizing and Activism
Academic Civic Engagement
Academic Civic Engagement (ACE) classes put academic skills in service of community priorities. Carleton faculty offer about 20 ACE courses each term, including both applied and theoretical designations, across all majors and disciplines. Most ACE courses are project-based, with students using their academic skills to create videos, archives, oral histories, data visualizations, statistical analysis, digital resources, and more.
ACE courses include:
- First year & intro classes
- Courses in the major & advanced electives
- Senior comps & independent studies
Support available for ACE
- Course design consultation
- Partnership development
- Community collaboration grants
- Public scholarship assistants
- ACE teaching assistants
- Periclean faculty fellow grants
ACE Course Examples
Immunology (Biology 310)
Community Partners: Community Action Center, HOPE Center, Young Chefs, SHAC, OHP
Issues: Role of the immune system in defense, allergic reactions, and autoimmunity
Contribution: Public health educational materials and resources for diverse audiences
Intro to Indigenous Histories (History 116)
Community Partner: Hocokata Ti, Shakopee Mdewakanton Cultural Center
Issues: Indigenous histories in what is currently the United States, including settler colonialism and Indigenous sovereignty, resistance, and persistence
Contribution: Database clean-up in partnership with the Hoċokata Ti Collections and Archives team
Southeast Asian Migration and Diasporic Communities (SOAN 125)
Community Partner: Cambodian American Partnership of MN (CAPMN)
Issues: Post Vietnam War Southeast Asian refugee resettlement and current local cultural communities
Contribution: Oral history project with Cambodian Elders
Printable PDF
Each academic year, our At-a-Glance annual report is created to showcase the CCCE in all its facets. The report highlights stories and statistics about the people, partner organizations, and activities that have happened over the past three terms.
