Abstract
Community-engaged learning (CEL) is not a revolutionary, new innovative pedagogy. In fact, the idea of connecting academic knowledge to community action draws from a broad range of movements spanning from the extension efforts of land grant universities in the 1860s to workforce initiatives of the New Deal to Civil Rights activism (Pollack, 1996; Saltmarsh & Hartley, 2016; Stanton et al., 1999; Yamamura & Koth, 2018). Historically, American higher education has been rooted in a mission to promote the common good and to prepare students to participate ethically and effectively in a democratic society (Guarasci & Eatman, 2022; Longo et al., 2016; Welch & Plaxton-Moore, 2019). According to Stanton, the earliest descriptions of service-learning as "the accomplishment of tasks that meet genuine human needs in combination with conscious educational growth" can be found in publications that date back to the 1960s (Stanton et al., 1999, p. 2). Founders of the service-learning movement, describing themselves as "mavericks" for pushing against the dictates and structures of academic departments and disciplines, wrote in 1999 about "the breathtaking growth" of the field, noting, "A new generation of practitioners has expanded the number and variety of service-learning courses and programs across all sectors of postsecondary education" (Stanton et al., 1999, p. xv). Seven years later, Saltmarsh and Hartley (2016, p. 15) echoed this assertion stating that "since the early 2000s, engaged scholars have been part of a generational shift in higher education, inheriting a legacy and rich history." Now commonly termed "community engaged learning," in recognition of the reciprocal collaboration (Keith, 2015; Welch & Plaxton-Moore, 2019; Yamamura & Koth, 2018) required between higher education and community partners to "develop and apply knowledge to address societal needs" (Weerts & Sandmann, 2010, p. 632), this approach has been recognized as a high impact practice in higher education (Kuh, 2008, p. 34), increasing students' academic engagement and thereby potentially increasing retention.