Building Critical Consciousness through Community Engaged Learning

Abstract

An experience is not necessarily inherently valuable in and of itself, but becomes so because of the meaning the individual involved in that experience is able to make from it. The Community Engaged Learning (CEL) program at the University of Toronto gives students the unique opportunity to implement and build upon the theoretical knowledge learned in class through practical experiences. Students intern with various community-based organizations on social justice initiatives. These internships are complemented with bi-weekly seminars where students develop theoretical grounding in social justice concepts and are given a space to discuss, decompress, and reflect on what they have learned through their experiences.