In my pathway I want to explore things that Utah Valley University is doing to encourage Community Engaged Learning and Research. I am a transfer student who started college a little later in life, and one of the many reasons I stay here at UVU is because of all the hands-on engaged learning opportunities here on campus. Being able to focus my research on UVU has been enlightening.
This month the main question I had to drive my post was: How does student participation in community-engaged learning projects focused on environmental issues influence understanding, skills and accountability. Throughout my post, I hope that you gain an insight into how students who engage with their community care more about their community; especially when they realize their community also includes the birds, the trees and everything in between.
This section shares insights from a community partner interview, connecting their perspective to the Pathway theme.
Brock Jones was on the planning committee for the Environmental Ethic symposium and was kind enough to sit down with me for an interview. Jones is an assistant professor of English at Utah Valley University. He has authored a book called Cenotaph (2016) holds a PhD in English and Creating from the University of Utah and, from what I can tell, has a deep love for poetry and the world around him.
Jones allowed me to read some of my own prose at the Environmental Ethics Symposium and he took the extra step of kindness to let me interview him regarding Community Engaged Learning and the Symposiums here on campus that he helps plan. We started and ended the conversation with the symposium but we also talked about the role of CELR in the classroom and in the broader wall of Utah Valley University.
A favorite quote from Jones was when I asked him why he thought CELR was important in higher education. He said this, “[Community engaged learning] injects a kind of enthusiasm or energy into their (the students) work. They can see what’s possible in their fields and different disciplines.” This plays into the idea I brought up in my immersion reflection, that an opportunity to not only be in the same room as professionals but also be able to give input on the discussion. These opportunities level the playing field for students.
Jones, in his own classes, has a number of things he does with his students to encourage Community Engaged Learning. A project I particularly want to highlight is his Ethnographic Monologue assignment. Where students have to interview someone they are not related to about what it is like to live in Utah. They then have to write a monologue about that person's lived experience. This assignment resonated with me for a number of reasons. One, as an ex-theatre kid turned anthropology major, I wanted to try this immediately, and two, this is exactly what CELR looks like. Working with your community to better understand what community means and is in a day to day setting.
This section summarizes readings and research related to a relevant topic within the student’s Pathway and connects them to larger patterns or themes.
The hot topic on every college campus across the world right now is AI. What is it? Should we use it? How should we use it? Is it evil? Is it going to save us? Is it making us dumb or more productive? As a college student I find myself getting roped into conversations about the usage and ethics of this new technology almost daily. Personally, I’ll be honest, I have very mixed feelings about it all. That being said, I wanted to hone in on how this would affect college students, not just in classrooms but in social impact settings as well. I found three different sources to center most of my research, a research article that was mainly focusing on the negative side effects of AI in higher ed, a research article that wanted to see both sides and a news article published by MSN about AI in schools. It was nearly impossible to find a source that was academic and fully positive about AI. While I agree that AI has many positive uses, especially in regards to equity and accessibility, overusing it has the potential to strip impact work and higher education of their humanity.
For this essay, I drew on three sources: Artificial Intelligence and Its Discontents in Higher Education by De Silva et al., which explores AI’s risks; The Double-Edged Nature of AI in the Classroom by Chukwuere, which presents both sides; and an MSN news article discussing the latest AI policies in schools. Something that every article mentioned and agreed on, was the improvement of accessibility in education and knowledge when it comes to AI integration. “[ChatGPT] helps students who can't see well or hear well access and understand written information.” (Chukwuere) That being said, something that De Silva said in their article has stayed with me, “To fully attain resilience, higher education institutions must negotiate the incorporation of AI technologies while remaining committed to the essential ideals of education”’ ( De Silva, et al)Equity is essential to education and social impact, but it isn’t the only goal of higher education. Institutions must also stay true to their missions by staying dedicated to their outputs and outcomes.
This tension between equity and experience is especially visible in Community Engaged Learning, which I experienced firsthand this past summer. It’s to learn from and with the world to transform student and community members' experiences. Sometimes, certain experiences can’t be equitable. I took a CELR course this past summer, it was centered around Eco-Justice in the state of Utah. We worked with a local aviary, indigenous tribes, the state’s homeless services and boated on The Jordan river. These experiences were paired with lectures, discussions and projects which built a beautiful impactful learning environment for me and my 9 other classmates. It was also exhausting, we one time woke up at 6am and dug holes in the ground, but at the end of this course I was changed. While I wish this class could be replicated for every person in the world or even just every student at UVU, that’s just not possible, and AI condensing or describing these in-person, hands-on experiences to students would not have the same impact.
I agree, let’s use AI to create a more equal world especially in terms of education. However, we shouldn’t sacrifice academic goals and purposes in the name of AI. We will lose the grit and the perseverance we gain by waking up at 6am to dig holes, or by facing our fears and holding a bird, or the confidence that happens when we defend our stance in our safe environment. These real life people facing moments are why we do education, are we do social impact, and while AI can encourage and make some things easier, over reliance might erase these skill building days.
This section highlights helpful tools or guides that support real-world application of the Pathway.
Back in 2021 the Italian Education Board announced that it would be the first country in the world to require a climate change module for school age children (6-18years old) This inspired a company to form that works within the private sector as well as the public sector to help teachers teach climate change. They say on their about page on their website, “[T]eachers should be trained how to embed scientific climate data and digital technologies in an interdisciplinary approach that makes connections between subjects and opens global perspectives.” They have an entire section dedicated to service learning and how that intersects with environmental action. It's so thorough and easy to read, definitely the favorite resource I've found so far.
Their section on environmental service learning is the third module of their site. It walks through the definition of service learning that they go off of, which is very similar to the Center for Social Impacts definition of Community Engaged Learning and Research. They then connect Service Learning to Environmental Learning through videos, graphics and other tools located on their page. “Students can develop a sense of social responsibility and a commitment to making a positive impact on the world.” This quote really hammers the point home that there is value in learning with real world experiences, not just books and lectures.
I went on a deep dive on the National Geographic website a few weeks ago and found out they had an entire section dedicated to education and teaching people from all ages. They have resources for preschool all the way to college. From events you can register for to templates for events, they are a great website to check out if you’re stuck in a rut and not sure how to convey a certain idea. I have two resources from their website today that I wanted to highlight, but I would highly recommend a deep dive on their website.
This first one has around 8 general ideas on how to teach students about environmental issues. I will point out that it does feel more geared for elementary school age, but there are still some ideas and links to more in depth resources, if you feel like you need them. One idea that I particularly enjoyed was “ Investigate Local Environmental Issues.” This exemplifies for me, all the best parts of community engaged learning and research. Learning about the world around you, engaging in a respectful way and then reflecting on your own life and how your actions impact the world around you. They don’t include a link in this section for deeper discovery, but here’s a video I found that goes along with this idea: https://education.nationalgeographic.org/resource/get-involved/
This last resource is a tool kit essentially built around experimental learning for children. It works around how kids connect best with big topics through play. They have a craft section, volunteer section, conservation and family orientated ones as well. While we usually think of “learning through play” geared towards kids, I would like to reframe that idea. Human beings crave stimulation and engagement, if they are invested in a certain activity then they will more likely care about it more. That doesn’t end when you turn 18. If we can find a way to teach adults through “play” or at least in a fun more joyful way, we might be able to curb burn out and have more people care about conservation.
The section I enjoyed scrolling through the most was “Citizen Science Projects.” All about local community efforts to research, track and collect data surrounding plants and animals. A great way for new students to get involved and see how research directly affects communities.
This section reflects on a firsthand or immersive experience related to the Pathway topic.
Every year Utah Valley University does an Environmental Ethics Symposium. This year’s theme was: Environmental Ethics in the Plastic Age. This theme is supposed to examine, as their website says, “The ways in which plastic infiltrates our lives, landscapes, and bodies, causing—as Rob Nixon illuminates—gradual and invisible damage.” I have attended this symposium twice before, never the entire thing, instead popping in for specific speakers and q & a sessions. This year had a unique section that caught my attention, and I had the opportunity to participate in it. This year, they chose different poems, non-fiction essays and other forms of prose from current students to present. I don’t think, at least in my experience, that students got to be a part of the teaching experience as well as the learning experience.
I went into the symposium with some questions. What is the purpose of symposiums and their use on University campuses? Who are they for? Students? Faculty? Community members? All of the above? Is it beneficial for students to be involved, or just to watch and sit? How does the impact shift and change, when the students engage?
The student readers were between the Key Note speaker and the Film screening of the documentary film “Albatross.” The eight students' pieces were all unique in tone, style and presentation; they were tied together with a common theme of love for the world around them and a call to action, a plea to change and save our home. I had the opportunity to read a piece of prose I wrote and it was a different experience to be surrounded by community members, university staff and other students who all shared the same deep love of the environment and wanted to hear what I had to say. Being involved and hearing from my peers deepened my connection to the topics being discussed. I felt less siloed when it came to the different ways of environmental impact. In my experience, the humanities and the ‘hard’ sciences are always competing on who is more valuable. However, sharing the space, stage and audience with poets and scientists who were learning from each other made me feel like change was something everyone was doing together.
There was value in every part of the symposium, from the keynote and the panel questions to the documentary; I walked away with a deeper understanding of the issue and felt a little less alone in the fight for conservation. The purpose of a symposium in my opinion is to provide a third space to researchers, academics and experts to meet and talk and learn from each other. Having them open to students allows a unique space where students can see first hand how action starts, with ideas, discussions and questions. As a student, it’s hard to break into the academic world without connections, experience and expert level knowledge. A symposium allows you to be involved at any level and learn from everyone regardless of your background. I walked in with the question of what is the purpose, and I found my answer in the first-year students sitting on the same row as respected authors, researchers and faculty.
If you have an interest in reading my prose you may find it here.
This section offers closing reflections and invites readers to consider how they can apply the insights in their own lives and communities.
Community Engaged Learning and Research is not a spectator activity, it’s a movement that depends on participation. My experiences at UVU, from presenting at the Environmental Ethics Symposium to digging holes for my classes, have shown me that learning changes for the better once we build a bridge from classroom to community. The next step for all of us, is to ask: How can I engage more?
If you’re a student, I would encourage you to attend a symposium, take service learning or CELR class, and join a club that connects you to real-world change. After my experiences this month, I feel empowered to step into spaces where I can collaborate and learn alongside peers and professionals. Impact doesn’t come from being perfectly educated on a topic; it comes from being willing to show up and try.
If you’re a member of the faculty, I would ask that you keep opening doors for students. Encourage them to bring their own experiences and passions into their research and writings. The energy and ideas and engagement that appears from authentic connection is what makes UVU’s atmosphere so unique.
To all the community partners, keep inviting students to your work. When you share your stories, challenges and hopes, you are helping build the next generation of problem-solvers and impact driven people. These students, who don’t just care about grades and resume building, but about people and the planet.
Education at its best teaches us that impact is shared. Whether we are writing prose or analyzing data, each small act of engagement connects to a more unified, compassionate and sustainable world. Let’s keep with our communities, not just about them.
