For UW Faculty & Staff

The Community Engagement and Leadership Education (CELE) Center supports faculty and graduate student instructors in developing community-engaged learning courses. We also connect faculty and staff to various ways to support student leadership development.

Ways to get involved

Each quarter, faculty and instructors from numerous disciplines across campus elect to integrate community-engaged learning into their courses. The success of community-engaged learning relies on the fit between courses’ academic goals and community-based learning opportunities, and on faculty and instructors integrating community-engaged learning into their course as a central organizing element.

Community-engaged courses

The goals of the Husky Leadership Certificate (HLC) are to recognize student leadership and engage students in a process of critical reflection on their leadership development and accomplishments. Students are matched with a Husky Leadership Certificate mentor and create an e-portfolio where they reflect upon, articulate, and demonstrate their leadership skills and abilities in relation to the Student Leadership Competencies. In their feedback, participating students have recognized the positive impact of their mentors and placed a high value on these relationships.

HLC Mentor

Curriculum resources

Included in this guide is a set of core leadership competencies that are vital for students to strengthen in order to be effective leaders as they engage with diverse communities. Descriptions of each competency are included as well as resources (readings, activities, and theories) to help reinforce each element.

Created in partnership with the Carlson Leadership and Public Service Center.

In all the classes I teach, community engagement is a “must-have” component because “community” — both inside and outside of our campus — is the force that enabled and continues to enable the field of American ethnic studies to be a part of our university.  Community activists were the ones who advocated for our schools and society to be transformed in the pursuit of social justice.  They still do.  So, in our classes, “community” is what we always recognize, honor, and connect with.  I think it is impossible for students to adequately understand the issues and practices of difference and power by being isolated in the classroom.  So, I make sure we connect and engage with multiple communities elsewhere to make our learning much more relevant, empowering, and profoundly meaningful.

— Faculty, American Ethnic Studies