How Community-Engaged Learning Prepares Students for Real-World Success
At The New School, we employ a form of project-based learning called Community-Engaged Learning (CEL).
What is Community-Engaged Learning?
CEL is a method where students learn by engaging in real-world projects for an extended amount of time. During this hands-on process, students are able to deeply investigate a complex problem, solve a particular challenge, and/or critically examine their own understanding of the material. Rather than receiving the bulk of the learning material through reading and classroom lectures, students take an active role in the learning through their participation in the problem-solving process, working in the community, with community partners.
What Community-Engaged Learning is NOT…
One thing to make clear is the difference between CEL and simply completing a project. In community-engaged learning, students are taught the skills they will need to develop when working on a long-term project. They are given access to the resources required, as well as guidance and mentorship along the way. On the other hand, completing a project is a short-term activity meant to assess the level of mastery for classroom instruction. These projects are meant to evaluate skills and knowledge already learned more than develop them.
Community-Engaged Learning and Student Outcomes
Students receive many benefits from CEL, including:
- Enhanced creativity
- Critical thinking skills
- Collaboration with others
- Self-driven motivation
- Time and resource management
- Engagement with the world on topics they care about
But these are only a few of the benefits students can gain from CEL and other forms of project-based learning. Studies have shown that when compared to traditional teaching, project-based learning significantly improves student outcomes and academic achievement.
Project-based learning aids students in connecting concepts across all school subjects. A study by Stanford University found that students engaged in PBL improved their scores in math, science, social studies and English language assessments. Interestingly, English as a second language (ESL) students in project-based learning classrooms scored up to 28% higher than their non PBL peers in language proficiency even though language learning wasn’t the goal of the instruction. By learning through project-based methods, students learned skills to improve in general in multiple areas.
The goal of education is to prepare students for the “real world,” and the data shows that project-based learning is better suited for achieving this goal. Students who take control of the direction of their own learning are more prepared for post-graduate life, having developed more skills, deeper critical thinking, and are more highly motivated. Students of all backgrounds reap the reward of project-based learning, which is an additional benefit in an area as culturally rich and diverse as Atlanta, GA.
If you’ve been looking for a unique learning environment to prepare your student, check out The New School, and learn more about community-engaged learning, our spin on project-based learning that gets students doing real work in the real world.
Peter Lefkowicz
Peter Lefkowicz is the founding Head of School at The New School and has served in that role since 2014. Over the last 25 years, he has taught English and History at both the high school and university levels and is passionate about creating rich learning experiences both in and outside of the classroom. Peter has a B.A. from the University of Virginia, an M.A. in English from Hollins College and a J.D. from the University of Virginia.
