Spirit, Mind, Action: A framework for civic engagement learning at Georgetown College

Georgetown College’s Center for Civic Engagement (CCE) represents the college’s commitment to enhancing student identity (spirit), learning (mind) and engagement (action). The CCE supports and provides resources to the college and surrounding community to foster the connection between service and academic learning goals. The key to these experiences is the partnership between the college and our community partners. Civic engagement enhances students’ understanding of social issues and concerns, and fosters leadership, citizenship, organizing, and critical thinking. The CCE serves the college’s mission of providing a foundation for shaping informed thought and action in order to prepare students for their place in society.

There are two types of Civic Engagement currently offered through the CCE. First, service learning (SL) refers to a credit-bearing educational experience where service is an integral part of a course and involves an intentional connection between service and academic learning goals. Second, Community-Based Experiential Learning (CBEL) indicates a faculty or staff-led learning opportunity to actively engage with the surrounding community where service is not connected to a course.