Academic Community Engagement

CCE supports all types of community-engaged learning that take place with community organizations, like internships, client-based class projects, community service, student teaching, service trips, and/or field experience.

Students, visit our Student Page for USM Community-Engaged Learning. The below information is geared toward faculty. 

The CCE:

• Provides suggestions and connections to community agencies (some are online)
• Can help with event logistics
• Coordinates networking opportunities between faculty
• Provides information on student community engagement and service opportunities

Service Learning 

Service-learning is distinct from other community-engaged learning practices. It embeds service into academic classes and meets USM's criteria for service-learning. CCE provides curricular support for service-learning at USM. 

Community-Engaged Research

Community-engaged research involves university and community members working collaboratively to conduct research for “the purpose of solving a pressing community problem or effecting social change” (Community-Based Research and Higher Education, Strand et al., 2004, p.3). CCE maintains a collection of USM community-engaged research, serves as a collaborator on research projects, articles, and/or funding, suggests publication venues, and provides a $300 award at the Undergraduate Research Symposium for the Best Community-Engaged Research or Creative Activity. 

• Interdisciplinary Investigations Research Series

The II Research Series provides funding on a two-year cycle for faculty and community members to work collaboratively to produce research or creative work that addresses community challenges or effects social change. Read about the 2022-24 II Research Series 

Year 1	Summer/Fall: Participating faculty develop strategic partnerships, research questions, and research plans. Spring: Faculty team-teach a section of IDS 350 Topics in Interdisciplinary Studies on methods of community-engaged research.
Year 2	Summer/Fall: Four undergraduate researchers selected as Engaged Scholars to work alongside faculty as they conduct research and analysis. Spring/Summer: Researchers complete data collection/analysis and submit results to the community partner. Engaged Scholar students present research project at Undergraduate Research Symposium.

Conville Endowment for Community Engaged Teaching and Research 

Applications for 2023-24 funding due May 12

The Conville Endowment for Community Engaged Teaching and Research was established to honor Dr. and Mrs. Richard L. Conville and to support and reward excellence in community-engaged teaching and research. Multiple funding awards are given each year to faculty for the purposes of: 

• Conducting or developing community-engaged or service-learning research
• Implementing and planning a new, significant, and sustainable community engagement initiative
• Advancing and promoting service-learning or community engagement at USM
• Integrating service-learning or community engagement into a college or department degree plan
• Developing or re-designing a service-learning class
• Collaborating across disciplines or institutions on community engagement initiatives

Applicants may request up to $2,000 to facilitate the development of their project which is expected to occur from July 1, 2023-June 1, 2024.