Highly innovative collaboration will impact student outcomes and community engagement
Published on
(Grand Rapids, Mich.) – Aquinas College, Grand Rapids Community College and Grand
Valley State University announce that they are sharing a $65,000 grant from Grand
Rapids Community Foundation to create and support a two-year Engaged Departments Initiative.
Michigan Campus Compact, which promotes the education and commitment of Michigan college
students to be civically engaged citizens, joins these institutions of higher education
as a critical partner.
The Engaged Departments Initiative will be rolled out in several phases and will support select academic departments at Aquinas College, Grand Rapids Community College and Grand Valley State University. The goal is to integrate community engagement across academic courses in order to expand students' service learning opportunities and enhance community partnerships.
“High quality community-based learning allows students to apply what they learn in class to solve real world problems, and improves their creative and problem solving skills,” said Diana Sieger, President of Grand Rapids Community Foundation. “We are thrilled to support these institutions of higher education as they discover ways to integrate community-based learning into curriculum, and look forward to seeing its impact on our community.”
Aquinas College, Grand Rapids Community College and Grand Valley State University have a long history of academic community engagement that benefits community based organizations in West Michigan. The Engaged Departments Initiative is a highly innovative, cross-institutional approach that will be used to intentionally link academic departments from the three institutions in order to facilitate greater impact on excellent education and connection to community.
The Initiative will launch January 2015 and is designed to increase retention and graduation rates among college and university students, prepare those young people for leadership, and provide community organizations more opportunities to become full partners with Aquinas College, Grand Rapids Community College and Grand Valley State University.
With the funding of the Engaged Departments Initiative, Grand Rapids Community Foundation continues its commitment to supporting educational initiatives in West Michigan.
The Engaged Departments Initiative will be rolled out in several phases and will support select academic departments at Aquinas College, Grand Rapids Community College and Grand Valley State University. The goal is to integrate community engagement across academic courses in order to expand students' service learning opportunities and enhance community partnerships.
“High quality community-based learning allows students to apply what they learn in class to solve real world problems, and improves their creative and problem solving skills,” said Diana Sieger, President of Grand Rapids Community Foundation. “We are thrilled to support these institutions of higher education as they discover ways to integrate community-based learning into curriculum, and look forward to seeing its impact on our community.”
Aquinas College, Grand Rapids Community College and Grand Valley State University have a long history of academic community engagement that benefits community based organizations in West Michigan. The Engaged Departments Initiative is a highly innovative, cross-institutional approach that will be used to intentionally link academic departments from the three institutions in order to facilitate greater impact on excellent education and connection to community.
The Initiative will launch January 2015 and is designed to increase retention and graduation rates among college and university students, prepare those young people for leadership, and provide community organizations more opportunities to become full partners with Aquinas College, Grand Rapids Community College and Grand Valley State University.
With the funding of the Engaged Departments Initiative, Grand Rapids Community Foundation continues its commitment to supporting educational initiatives in West Michigan.