Embedded Files
Classroom Practice:
Community Engagement Project
Classroom Practice:
Community Engagement Project
Intended Purpose:
Intended Purpose:
The goal of the Community Engagement Project is to connect students' academic work with their lived experiences and real-world issues. By working together, students leverage their strengths to identify an area of their school community that needs improvement, research possible solutions, and implement action steps to make a meaningful change. Through this project, students not only apply academic skills—such as reading, writing, listening, and speaking—but also see the direct impact of their efforts on their community. This fosters a sense of agency and relevance in their learning, helping them connect academic work to real-life outcomes.
Benefit for LTELs
Benefit for LTELs
For Long-Term English Learners (LTELs), this project offers several benefits. It validates their lived experiences and cultural knowledge, empowering them to see themselves as capable problem-solvers. By collaborating with peers, LTELs can use their unique perspectives to enrich the research and solution-building process. The focus on real-world issues helps them connect academic skills—especially language skills—to authentic, meaningful contexts, thus increasing motivation and confidence. Additionally, the collaborative nature of the project creates opportunities for LTELs to practice language in a functional, peer-supported environment, reinforcing both their social and academic language development.
ELD.PI.1 Exchanging information and ideas via oral communication and conversations
ELD.PI.11 Supporting own opinions and evaluating others’ opinions in speaking and writing
ELD.PII.5 Modifying to add details
SL.1 Prepare for and participate effectively in a range of conversations and collaborations with diverse partners, building on others’ ideas and expressing their own clearly and persuasively
W.7. Conduct short as well as more sustained research projects based on focused questions, demonstrating understanding of the subject under investigation.
Historical and Social Sciences Analysis Skills
Historical Research, Evidence, and Point of View
4. Students construct and test hypotheses; collect, evaluate, and employ information from multiple primary and secondary sources; and apply it in oral and written presentations.
Adapt projects for Science
HS-LS2-7 Ecosystems: Interactions, Energy, and Dynamics
Design, evaluate, and refine a solution for reducing the impacts of human activities on the environment and biodiversity.*
Teacher Moves
Teacher Moves
Facilitate team-building: Support students in identifying their strengths and assigning roles within the team. Encourage collaboration and emphasize the importance of each team member's contribution.
Guide issue selection: Help students identify a meaningful issue in their school community that aligns with their interests and passions. Offer guidance on narrowing down a topic that is actionable and relevant.
Support research efforts: Provide resources and strategies for students to gather information (e.g., articles, interviews, surveys) and help them navigate the research process.
Guide the implementation process: Help students create a plan of action and ensure that they have the support needed to carry out their project. Check in regularly to provide feedback and troubleshoot any challenges.
Encourage reflection and evaluation: After the project is completed, facilitate discussions where students evaluate the impact of their work and reflect on what worked, what didn’t, and how they could improve in the future.
Reinforce the connection to academic skills: Consistently highlight how academic skills (reading, writing, speaking, listening) are being used in real-world situations, making the connection between the classroom and the broader world.
Student Moves
Student Moves
Build a collaborative team: Work with peers to identify strengths within the group, assigning roles that align with individual skills and interests (e.g., research, writing, presentation).
Identify an area for improvement: Discuss and choose an aspect of the school community that needs attention (e.g., school environment, student well-being, inclusivity).
Research solutions: Use academic research tools to explore possible solutions to the chosen issue. This may include gathering data, interviewing peers, or looking at similar efforts in other communities.
Implement action steps: Develop and carry out a plan to address the identified issue. This may include organizing events, creating awareness campaigns, or presenting findings to school leadership.
Evaluate impact: Reflect on the effectiveness of the action steps by collecting feedback from the community and analyzing the real-world changes that resulted from the project.
Connect academic skills to real life: Use reading, writing, speaking, and listening to work on tasks like report writing, presenting solutions, and communicating with stakeholders, demonstrating the relevance of academic learning in real-life contexts.
Resources/ Teacher Examples
Resources/ Teacher Examples
Teacher Example of Community Engagement (El Cajon Valley High School)
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