Faculty Development

Upcoming Discussions and Workshops

What Does it Mean to Be an Engaged Scholar in the Present Time?
Friday, March 6, 12:00-1:15pm, McEwen Dining Engagement Space
Please RSVP here
Are you interested in thinking about how your research and teaching can more directly impact the community and society? Join Elena Kennedy, Faculty Fellow for Community-Based Learning, and Dillan Bono-Lunn, Faculty Fellow for Civic Engagement, for a lunch discussion-based workshop where faculty will reflect on their goals, exchange ideas, and explore meaningful opportunities for community-engaged research and teaching. Lunch is provided.

Community Engaged and Community-Based Learning Courses: Distinguishing the Models and Choosing the Best Fit
Wednesday, April 8, 12:00-1:15pm, McEwen Dining Engagement Space
Please RSVP here
Course-based engagement with the local community comes in many forms, from extended semester-long relationships with a given partner to class days or individual assignments in service to community needs. Join us for a practical conversation about what community engaged and community-based learning at Elon might look like, how the models are different from one another, and the benefits and limitations of each. For individuals who already teach community engaged courses, we’ll also discuss when and how one might transition to a community-based model. Lunch is provided.

Essentials of Community-Based Learning Workshop
Tuesday, May 12, 8:30-11:30am, Moseley 105A (Ward Octagon)
Please RSVP here
Are you interested in creating a more authentic learning experience in your course by engaging with community partners? Could the learning objectives for your course be enhanced through community engagement? Have you ever wondered how community-based learning works and why reflection is central to that pedagogy? This workshop is appropriate for faculty members who are developing a community-based course, designing a project or assignment that involves community engagement, or are curious about community-based learning pedagogies in general. The workshop will allow for interaction with experienced faculty, Kernodle Center for Civic Life and Center for the Advancement of Teaching and Learning staff members. Participants will receive a $75 gift card.

Celebration of Community-Based Learning
Wednesday, May 13, 4:00pm, Location TBD
Join us as we celebrate a year of meaningful community-based learning. This gathering brings together faculty, students, and community partners to recognize the collaborations that connected classrooms with local needs, strengthened partnerships, and created real impact. Enjoy conversation, light refreshments, and stories from this year’s work as we look ahead to new opportunities.

Community Partnerships Initiative Grants

Through funding from the Frueauff Foundation, these mini-grants provide teams of faculty, students, and community agencies financial support to launch collaborative projects. These collaborative grants will support the development of new programs, increase the effectiveness of current programs, provide opportunities for innovative research and assessment that address the root causes of problems such as homelessness and domestic violence, and support community groups in strategic planning and problem solving. Contact Bob Frigo for more information.

Application for the Community Partnerships Initiative Faculty Grant Application

Applications for 2026-2027 Opportunities

Community-Based Learning Faculty Scholars Program
Application Due May 1, 2026
Faculty who are interested in developing or strengthening a Community-Based Learning (formerly Academic Service-Learning) course are encouraged to participate in the Community-Based Learning Faculty Scholars program. Scholars are expected to participate in the Essentials of Community-Based Learning Workshop in May and attend four follow-up luncheon meetings with the Faculty Fellow for Community-Based Learning, Elena Kennedy, during the next academic year. Six faculty members will be selected for the program and will receive a $1000 stipend.

Community-Based Learning Course Development Grants
Application Due May 1, 2026
The Kernodle Center for Civic Life and the Center for the Advancement of Teaching and Learning (CATL) offer Community-Based Learning Course Development Grants to support the evolution of existing courses across the disciplines into Community-Based Learning designated courses. Grants are awarded in the amount of $2,000 ($1,000 for the 2026-2027 academic year and $1,000 for the 2027-2028 academic year). The first year of the grant provides a stipend to compensate faculty for the work of incorporating community-based learning pedagogy into an existing course and applying for the Community-Based Learning course designation by February 15. The second year of the grant provides a stipend for launching the new Community-Based Learning designated course and assessing its effectiveness. Grant recipients will meet as a cohort approximately once a semester during the two-year grant period.

Community-Based Learning Research Scholar Program
Application due May 1, 2026
The Community-Based Learning Research Scholar Program is designed to assist an individual faculty member well-versed in the pedagogies of service-learning and community engagement and who would like to explore a community-based learning research project. The faculty member selected to serve as the Community-Based Learning Research Scholar will be required to meet regularly with the Faculty Fellow for Community-Based Learning, Elena Kennedy, and produce a report on specific outcomes of the research conducted. A $1500 stipend will be awarded to the recipient.