Creative ways to boost student learning through community-based projects
Jamie Darwen explains how community projects offer creative and practical ways to enhance student learning and shares advice on building successful partnerships outside the university
Teaching and learning
Practical learning
Outreach and communication
Europe
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Jamie Darwen
University of the West of England Bristol
30 Jul 2021
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Advice on getting students involved in community projects which boost their learning experience in creative and practical ways
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Community-based projects can provide great opportunities for students to enhance their learning, get creative and gain practical experience, while also benefitting local communities.
With a strong focus on practice-led and problem-based education, we have formed connections with communities and organisations across the Bristol region to provide relevant, authentic and engaging opportunities for students to learn about and tackle real-world issues and problems. Here are some key lessons in how to do this successfully.
Funding
All projects have associated costs and it can be difficult finding extra funding in already squeezed institutional budgets. So, it is worth creating a special fund or pot that is ring-fenced specifically for community projects. This can be done in partnership with other local charities and organisations.
The UWE Bristol Community Fund, run in partnership with Quartet Community Foundation, awards grants of up to £3,000 for new projects that connect university staff and students with local communities around Bristol.
Such a fund can then act as a quality control mechanism, as applicants need to demonstrate the potential value of their project in order to secure a grant, such as the need it is addressing and how it will do this, as well as the learning benefits for students. Project leads are expected to produce follow-up reports to show the outcomes or impact
This helps shape projects that create rich, practical learning opportunities for students and provide positive social, environmental and cultural benefit for communities. Such initiatives can come in many forms so here are four models for community-based projects, which can work across multiple disciplines or faculties:
