The Community Engaged Learning Facilitator (CELF) Program has been one of the most successful programs to come out of the Office of Community Engaged Learning. We are excited to announce its continued success and growth. For those who are not aware, the CELF Program is a student leadership opportunity for individuals interested in community engagement and collaborating to create community change. In the past, students have expressed how crucial the CELF experience is to build your personal, professional, and interpersonal skills, along with instilling the values of being a responsible and active community member, and it shows!
Early this January, the Office of Community Engaged Learning hosted its training for seven new CELFs expanding the CELF program to fifteen active CELFs who serve in a variety of ways. These range from working directly with Lewis University Faculty in programs like Sociology and Theology, helping to implement best practices in their community engaged course. To a more community based CELF, who might act as a liaison between students, faculty, and their community partners. For example, a CELF might work directly with a community partner like Play for Rings, an after-school program centered around basketball and tutoring, helping to coordinate logistical things like background checks and scheduling.
The training for these CELFs generally occur the week before the semester starts. The idea behind training is to help CELFs have a better understanding of Community Engaged Learning and all its benefits, while also stressing the importance of reflections in Community Engaged Learning and how to make a reflection that is useful for the class or organization they might be partnering with. The training also gives students a chance to build relationships with one another, as one of the core goals of the CELF Program is to build a support community for each other. As expected, the training was successful, and we are excited to see the impact of this new group of CELFs. We know that they will make a huge difference in a time when social justice work is so important. If you would like to learn more about the CELF Program, please feel free to reach out to any of the Office of Community Engaged Learning representatives.
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