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Join the hundreds of Duke students who are discovering the value of community-engaged learning.

Community-engaged learning is based on the belief that not all learning happens in the classroom. Service-learning and community-engaged courses build a strong academic foundation by connecting with community partners and translating theory into real-world experience. Throughout the semester, you’ll learn from your community collaborations and share your reflections in meaningful conversations. With over 75 courses in dozens of departments, from Education and Public Policy to Engineering and Computer Science, you’ll find a course that fits your interests. These experiences can help you:

Deepen your understanding of how theories and concepts are applied in the real world. Courses can feel far removed from the world outside Duke and life after college, but service-learning and community-engaged courses allow you to apply and gain hands-on academic knowledge in an authentic setting.

  • Get to know Durham (beyond downtown). You may not have had the time to explore Durham’s rich diversity yet, but service-learning and community-engaged courses can give you a chance to really get to know the local Durham community.

  • Explore your values and clarify your life goals. The community collaborations and reflections facilitated by your courses allow you to explore a personal code of ethics, leading to values-based research interests, increased civic engagement, and deeply fulfilling career tracks.

  • Develop cultural competency and leadership skills. Your community experiences will provide opportunities to develop a wide range of skills, from learning how to work effectively with people from different backgrounds in an inclusive and welcoming way, to critical thinking, problem solving, and leadership skills.

“It’s very exciting for students to interact with people who have lived experiences that relate to the subject matter they’re reading. We’ve had students tell us ‘I will remember this moment for the rest of my life.’ And that’s a whole different kind of learning.”

- Lynden Harris, Co-Instructor, Stories for Social Change

CHOOSE FROM MORE THAN 75 INNOVATIVE COURSES THAT INTEGRATE RIGOROUS COURSEWORK WITH REAL-WORLD COMMUNITY COLLABORATIONS IN DURHAM AND BEYOND.

(EDUC 290S)

EDUC 290S: Critical Pedagogy of Hip-Hop

In Spring 2019, students collaborated with the Boys and Girls Club of Durham and Orange County to develop engaging and empowering learning environments. Critical Pedagogy of Hip Hop explores the historical and socio-cultural aspects of education initiatives, teaching and learning strategies, and educational policy issues that contribute to marginalization.

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DOCST 332S: Farmworkers in North Carolina

In Fall 2018, students worked with Durham artist Cornelio Campus to create a mural honoring farmworkers' past, present, and future. "In this course, we focused on the histories of the human beings who have fed us for centuries. We were encouraged to think beyond what we read in academic writing and to put our feet on the ground," says Sujeiry Jimenez, who took the course that semester.
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SPANISH 313: Bridging Cultures: Latino Lives & Experiences in North Carolina

In this course, students explore key issues surrounding Latinx communities in Durham and beyond, focusing on issues of culture and immigration, health, education, and the economy. Projects emphasized bidirectional learning, cultural understanding, and opportunities for building bridges to local communities.

Student Testimonials:

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“I gained strong faculty mentors and met some incredible students who inspired me.”

Service-learning provided me with hands-on experience working with community partners that was complemented by thought-provoking class discussions and readings. I’m very grateful to service-learning for helping mold me into the person I am today, and I’m excited to continue on as a lifetime learner.

— Nicole Daniels, T’14

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“I wanted to start investing more of my time into my community.”

Service-learning goes beyond simple volunteering tasks. It’s more about building relationships, understanding the history of our communities, the mission and role of the community organizations, and who they are trying to serve.

-Axel Herrera-Ramos, Duke ‘20, ECON/SOCIOLOGY Major

 
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“I learned to be comfortable in the uncomfortable.”

Participating in service-learning, both as a student and a student leader, provided me with the opportunity to grow both morally and interpersonally. I learned to become comfortable in the uncomfortable; and to network and navigate relationships with faculty and community members.

— Laura McDaniel, T’02; MSW ‘06