Kate Cammack, CfT Co-Director
Community engaged learning (CEL) is a high-impact, experiential learning opportunity in which community engagement is integrated into the learning objectives & activities of a course. Sewanee’s 2025-2026 CEL Faculty Fellows hosted a panel discussion and conversation at the CfT about their recent CEL experiences.
Fellow: Molly Brookfield (History; Women’s & Gender Studies)
Course: WGS100 Introduction to Women’s and Gender Studies
Community Partner: Chambliss Center for Children in Chattanooga, TN
Project: one-day outdoor work projects on a Saturday (e.g., painting, gardening)
A key take-away: Don’t be afraid to scaffold your students’ understanding – asking them to write critical self-reflections can be a powerful learning experience.
Fellow: Lisa Burner (Spanish; Environmental Arts & Humanities)
Course: ENST200 Introduction to Environmental Arts & Humanities
Community Partners: The Bethlehem Center and Crabtree Farms, both in Chattanooga, TN
Projects: constructed vegetable beds; harvested onions
A key take-away: It’s worth it to invest time up-front to exploring partnerships so that you find a strong match between their goals and your course goals.
Fellow: Melody Lehn (Rhetoric; Women’s and Gender Studies)
Course: RHET331 Voices of American Women
Community Partner: Monteagle Sunday School Assembly, in Monteagle, TN
Projects: digitize and scan archival materials; created materials to add to archive
A key take-away: CEL can breathe new life into a course and allow you to re-engage with newer literature in your field.
Fellow: Teri Terigele (Psychology)
Course: PSYC490 Communicating Psychology
Community Partners: Beersheba Springs Medical Clinic, SETHRA Transit, Sewanee Fire Department, Community Action Committee
Projects: social media materials, signage, AI training workshops
A key take-away: CEL experiences can be a tangible way for students to develop translatable skills and build impactful deliverables that they can use in future interviews
Interested in exploring CEL? Connect with one of this year’s Fellows or with Amy Patterson, Director of the Office of Civic Engagement.