Community-Engaged Learning & Research

Overview

Community-Engaged Learning & Research (CELR) courses are hands-on, reflective, skill-building opportunities for students to engage with campus and community projects. Through a mutually beneficial exchange with community partners, students apply theory to practice, develop professional experience, and contribute to the public good.

CELR is defined as a credit-bearing educational experience where students participate in an organized activity (direct service, research, creative process, advocacy, consulting) collaborating with a community partner (organization, industry, business, K-12 schools, local government) for the purpose of mutual beneficial exchange of knowledge and resources in a context of partnership and reciprocity (adapted from Bringle and Hatcher (1996) & the Carnegie Foundation for the Advancement of Teaching).

Our mission

Community-Engaged Learning and Research (CELR) holds as its mission the advancement of mutually beneficial relationships between the university and the extra-campus community through community-engaged learning and research for the purposes of education and growth among all involved parties. CELR supports the University of Washington Bothell in its mission to be a “transformational learning community,” and to “serve as a catalyst to enhance quality of life throughout our region” while fostering a “dynamic community of multicultural learning.”

Engage with CELR

There are many ways to engage with CELR, whether you’re a student, a faculty member, or a community partner. See below to learn more about how you can get involved.


Learn more about ways you can engage with UW Bothell community partners while gaining valuable volunteer and career experience:

Different types of CELR courses Enrolled CELR student next steps

Explore ways to engage students with community partners through community-engaged research courses and projects:

Track course projects and students Integrating CELR into your course

Collaborate with UW Bothell to create opportunities to foster reciprocal exchange of knowledge and resources. Learn more about the role of partners in CELR courses.

Information for CELR partners

CELR classes let you apply what you’ve learned, gain professional skills, and grow your network, all while making a positive impact in our community.

Learn more about CELR courses

Advising

Meeting with a CELR advisor is easy! Appointments can be scheduled for virtual or in-person. Email or call us at uwbcblr@uw.edu or 425-352-3195 if you have any questions about scheduling an advising appointment.

Schedule a CELR Advising Appointment

Recent Stories


Dr. Maureen West takes a look at her students' artwork in her class, "Disability Representation in Society."

Dr. Maureen West educates students about disability justice through art and community engagement.

Learn more about innovative disability justice learning

Students doing place-based learning in class.

Lecturer Dion Crommarty incorporates place-based education to demonstrate the abundant contribution of African Americans to the local communities.

Learn more about place-based education

Students having their first class in Environmental Education and Research Center.

Dr. David Stokes leads his students to conduct several environmental and conservation studies at the EERC and local green spaces.

Learn more about EERC and environmental studies

8 students who attended the conference pose in front of a building on the ASU campus.

Students participated in the 2024 Next Generation Service Corps Leadership Conference and gained more insights into public services and community engagement.

Learn more about students build public network