My Academic Community Engaged Learning Design: Promoting Equitable Civic Engagement

College students are motivated, passionate, and knowledgeable individuals who lack opportunities and the appropriate first-hand experience to get involved in their local community. I used an Academic Community Engaged Learning (ACEL) approach to build student self- efficacy to engage with their community. I created a formal curriculum that teaches students the basics of community development and encourages students to consider their role and impact in the community. I organized a community project with a local elementary school to create a kindness mural that would give students an opportunity to experience community engagement, thereby facilitating deeper comprehension of the material. I find that ACEL can be a valuable tool in harnessing college students by using their motivation and passion to facilitate a collaborative process.