A tradition of strengthening communities.
Since 1990, CCNCCE has been helping community colleges deepen student engagement through community service. The Center understands the specific needs of community colleges, which tend to have older, more localized student bodies and faculty that focus on teaching over research.
While the Center is a program of the Maricopa Community College District, its programs reach more than 1,200 community colleges in all 50 states as well as U.S. Territories.
Unlike other service learning program developers, the Center does not charge a membership fee. This open model can save community colleges thousands of dollars while allowing them to pick and choose the services that are most useful, from training and technical assistance to events and thought leadership.
The importance of community involvement.
Service learning and civic engagement have been demonstrated to improve learning outcomes for students — as well as the community at large.
By combining traditional classroom instruction with the practical application of knowledge in real-world settings, students gain a more experiential education that emphasizes critical thinking, self-reflection, personal responsibility, and a greater awareness of larger issues and the agencies that advocate for change.
The Center has helped institutions, faculty, and students tackle a diverse range of social problems, including:
- Student Success for Developmental Education students
- Human trafficking prevention
- Domestic Preparedness in case of disasters
- Domestic violence
- Hunger
- Homelessness
- Diversity and Cultural Awareness
- Environmental Sustainability
- Green Building
- Social Justice
The Center is uniquely qualified to help community colleges make service learning and civic engagement a priority, for student success and healthy communities.
Find out more about the people behind CCNCCE by reading our publication Beacons of Vision, Hope, and Action
