Civic Engagement
Civic engagement experiences are opportunities for you to contribute positively to society and connect to your local, national, and international communities.
Civic engagement experiences should be grounded in civic and social responsibility and should emphasize collaboration with community stakeholders. Civic engagement experiences can be practiced through social activism, public scholarship, community advocacy, and direct service.
Civic Engagement experiences should entail a minimum of 60 hours.
- Immersive Project: a minimum of five days where the student spends at least 40 hours of the 60-hour minimum requirement immersed in the community. Additional hours to meet the 60 hour minimum should be spent immersed in researching and educating oneself on the issue the immersive project will address (i.e. homelessness, health, education).
- Ongoing Project: a minimum of 60 hours within a 12 month period focused on a single community partner or on a single issue.
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Alternative breaks
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Civic engagement internships
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Courses with significant civic engagement components
- Other experiences fitting the stated goals of the category
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Cornell Alternative Breaks program
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Campus Compact AmeriCorps program (CCA)
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EDU 216/POL 216 - Education Policy and Practice
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PSY 395 - Human Services Practicum and Seminar
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CIV 280/380 - Applied Civic Engagement Internship
- ENG 373/SOC 350 Literature and Social Justice in Chicago
- Please visit the pre-approved list for an updated selection of all pre-approved Civic Engagement experiences.
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You will demonstrate understanding of a complex social issue and the ways in which community-based organizations can help alleviate problems or contribute to solutions.
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You will illustrate your ability to communicate effectively through working as a member of a diverse team.
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You will recognize the importance of social responsibility, inclusivity, and compassion for others.
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You will develop an understanding of civic engagement opportunities and explore ways to incorporate citizenship into your future plans, professionally and personally.
- You will understand the importance of reciprocity while working with community-based organizations.
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Describe your experience and what you learned about the social issue(s) that was/were the focus of your experience. Be sure to address how the community-based organization helped alleviate problems or contributed to solutions (Learning Outcomes 1, 3).
- In what ways was this a mutually beneficial relationship between you and the community partner? How might you have deepened your commitment to this partnership (Learning Outcomes 2, 5)?
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Describe a circumstance you faced during this experience and how this allowed you to understand the importance of social responsibility (Learning Outcome 3).
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Create a resume entry, including the title of the position/project/experience and 1-3 bullet points (resume style) describing your experience. You might focus on aspects of your experience that demonstrate citizenship and the skills you gained as a result of this experience (Learning Outcome 4).
Complete your Civic Engagement proposal in the InAct Portal.
Your sponsor will use the following rubric to give your final reflection a pass/fail grade.
If you have questions directly related to the Civic Engagement category, contact Sam Hebel in the Civic Engagement office.