APPROACHES TO COMMUNITY LEARNING

ACTION RESEARCH:
CLI engages participants in conducting various kinds of research in community settings at the behest of local groups. The research and projects are generated by, or in collaboration with, the community groups themselves, and the results are meant to advance their collective goals.

COMMUNITY MAPPING:
At CLI, both students and community members learn how to use census data and Geographic Information Systems (GIS), the state of the art mapping technology, as a tool for community empowerment, urban research, and public policy analysis.

SERVICE LEARNING:
CLI projects are designed to both perform various kinds of service in community-based organizations, while enabling students to experiment with a wide range of pedagogical techniques.

ARTS & MEDIA:
CLI courses provide an excellent opportunity to organize and address community issues through artistic and media projects by helping neighborhoods develop tools and resources such as video documentaries, community murals, and performance events.

FIELD STUDY:
CLI projects also provide opportunities to help students and community participants get to know various neighborhoods better by conducting field studies such as oral histories and ethnographies.