The Community Learning Initiative (CLI) bridges the gap between the classroom and the outside world by creating partnerships with community-based organizations, groups, and individuals- as well as other NYU programs- in addressing real world problems and devising and implementing practical solutions.

The three core principles that make the Community Learning Initiative a special enterprise at NYU are: engagement, reciprocity, and reflection.

ENGAGEMENT:
CLI addresses community problems while also reflecting on the underlying causes of social disparity and the ethics of service-oriented relationships. Community Learning at Gallatin aims at developing skills in organizing constituencies and solving problems, as well as examining the social and public policy implications of existing policies and values in society. The CLI is guided by a commitment to inclusive, participatory citizenship, as well as to a vision of learning as an active, constructive process.

RECIPROCITY:
CLI aims at breaking down the distinctions between "servers" and "clients" by building respectful partnerships with community-based organizations and individuals. Community partners will benefit from their collaboration with CLI by increasing their capacity to mobilize their members and their resources more effectively. Students will build research skills and learn to take seriously the knowledge and expertise of local residents. Participants in the Community Learning Initiative will gain the confidence, experience, and the theoretical knowledge to become active and effective citizens.

REFLECTION:
The work at the Community Learning Initiative entails a commitment to reflection on social problems, strategies for change, and personal commitments by means of a rigorous and ongoing exploration of the interactions between practical activity and scholarly ideas. CLI aims at creating a dialogical space whereby students and community members can think about their experiences and reflect on the meaning and ethics of their practice, both individually and for their communities at large.