Community Engaged Learning
Community Engaged Learning (CEL) at Utrecht University is education in which students, teachers and external partners work together on shared social issues. We build equal relationships in which we work together sustainably. This creates new insights for complex problems and trains students to become socially engaged citizens and professionals. UU strives to ensure that student social engagement is embedded in all programmes.
On this page
On this page, you can read more about what CEL is, what characterises CEL at Utrecht University and UU's ambition with this form of education.
Community Engaged Learning at Utrecht University
Ambition: CEL is part of the curriculum
UU aims to embed student civic engagement in every degree programme. CEL is encouraged and supported as a form of education to fulfil this objective. The CEL programme has been established to facilitate the development of CEL education, including through grants and training for lecturers. On the UU intranet, lecturers can find all information about the support available.
In all faculties
At UU, we believe that CEL can be developed and applied in many different ways, making it employable in the more exact sciences as well. With our approach, we encourage the development and embedding of CEL courses in all faculties: from Humanities to Beta Sciences and everything in between. Each faculty has a specific CEL ambassador to drive this development.
Minimal components
What is CEL exactly? And what does it mean to ‘do’ it? Community Engaged Learning activities are not often fully constructed in one go, and may take some time to develop. At Utrecht University, there is a threshold (minimal) definition which participants are encouraged to deepen over time.
Minimal components for any activity to be considered CEL include:
- At least one external partner outside the bounds of higher education
- Direct interactions between that partner or partners and both students and instructors
- A focus on societal issues of shared concern, including attention to the systemic aspects of those issues
- Reflection on the part of students. This reflection links personal experience with those of the other participants. In CEL this process of discovery is at least as important as any product delivered.
To strive for reciprocal and long-term relationships
Striving for reciprocal collaborations and an equal relationship, in which the contributions (knowledge, experiences, etc.) of all involved are seen as equally valuable, is a key feature of CEL. In addition, UU aims to build long-term relationships with its external partners, so that mutual trust can grow and cooperation can be further deepened over time.
Diverse partners
CEL may involve various 'communities' outside the university, depending on the specific public good being pursued:
- Less fortunate or disadvantaged groups, with possible advocacy for them as well
- Communities centred around a specific place (neighbourhoods, streets, etc.)
- Professional organisations (such as NGOs, government agencies) seeking insights to better understand their own social mission
- (Commercial) research institutes where joint (ethical) reflection and the pursuit of a public good are the main goals
Research on CEL
Within the UU, research is increasingly being conducted into various aspects of CEL. Questions central to this are, for example, "How does CEL contribute to the university's mission?", "What is the added value of CEL for all stakeholders?" and "How do you establish sustainable relationships with external partners?".
'In this social project, I felt connected to others'
University College Roosevelt (UCR) offers students Community Engaged Learning (CEL) in a number of courses.
'I want to contribute to social awareness within physics'
Creating social involvement in an exact science, isn't that difficult? Not according to Elisa Chisari, associate professor at the Institute of Theoretical Physics.
'An effective and fun way to learn more about each others' background'
For their UCU course, American exchange students Meher and Uma read poetry and lyrics to asylum seekers and status holders in Utrecht. It gave them encounters they will never forget.
'I could put into practice what I learnt at university'
In this video, undergraduate Social Geography and Planning students talk about working with community partners in the city.
'A fresh perspective is very welcome'
For Luuk Wingerden, collaborating in the Living Lab Overvecht course was a great opportunity to connect with the neighbourhood and get students involved in his organisation.
'I felt the connection with the real world was lacking'
In terms of content, she found her studies interesting, but Eliza Hobo missed the connection with the real world. She sought and found more hands-on courses.
'You really feel like you’re participating in something bigger than yourself'
History teachers Marijke Huisman and Jocelyn Ballentyne feel that the relationship between education and society is not always explicit enough. They say CEL is a good tool to improve this.
'It challenged me to perform and to come across as a professional'
That it can be quite exciting to get out of the lecture bench and apply your knowledge and experience in a professional organisation is told by these two humanities students.
'This is a great opportunity to show how diverse our field of study is'
Embed CEL effectively in education? Choose a specific theme and then look for external partners, these two teachers advise.
'Students and teachers need to step out of their comfort zone'
CEL has been a regular part of the Bachelor of Social Geography and Planning since 2021. Students really benefit from this, according to the teacher and education director.
'It gives you insights you could never get on your own'
Besides practical experience and social impact, CEL introduces students to interdisciplinary student collaboration. In this video, students talk about this new and educational experience.
Students approach the issue in a different way, giving you the best of both worlds.
Contact and collaboration
Programme team
James Kennedy (chair, dean), Kim Zunderdorp (programme manager) and Roos van Lin (programme secretary) make up the CEL programme team. For general questions about CEL at Utrecht University, please contact Roos van Lin.
Ambassadors
- Science: Anneke van Houwelingen
- Veterinary Medicine: Rebecca Nordquist
- Humanities: Christianne Smit
- Medicine: Roos de Jonge
- Geosciences: Irina van Aalst
- Law, Economics and Governance: Lorena Sosa
- Social and Behavioural Sciences: Jorg Huijding
- University College Roosevelt: Gerda Andringa
- University College Utrecht: Markha Valenta
Collaborating with UU
As a company or social organisation, it is possible to submit an enquiry to teachers and students at Utrecht University. To do so, contact U-Collaborate in Education.