First Person: The Value of Community-Based Learning
The Community-Based Learning (CBL) Program is a really cool way to get students engaged in and out of the classroom by combining subject interest with an applied civic engagement within the North Country. Community-Based Learning takes students away from articles and books in the classroom and gets them to think about the real world.
When asking faculty and professors what they think of it, they describe it as extremely important and enriching.
"When students take what we read and go look at the outside world and apply it, I think that’s a wonderful thing that comes out of CBL,” says Associate Professor of Anthropology Adam Harr.
The enriching benefits go beyond just getting off campus. The CBL gives students a chance to interact with people that are different from them, whether that be children in middle school, local members of the community, teachers, lawmakers, and more. It is good to get outside of our college bubble and create conversations that stem from outside of our generally exclusive campus.
When enrolling at St. Lawrence, not only are you enrolling to the school and the campus community, but to our larger town community as well, because both parties benefit from each other. The CBL Program gives back to communities and it gives students responsibility and a sense of being full-fledged adults.
Harr understands that being a college student in 2021 can be stressful and that students, for various reasons, are under immense pressure. He hopes students not only gain something to add to their resume but have fun and acquire a sense of responsibility and adulthood.
Although beneficial to students, the Community-Based Learning Program is extremely useful in sustaining the bonds we have created with the Canton community. Students being able to lend a hand to caretakers, teachers, and younger students, makes a world of difference and shows that we do care about the town and people outside of our “SLU bubble”.
"Having experiences here prepares students for whatever comes next," says Harr.
So, think about this the next time you have the opportunity to take a CBL. Think about the lives you could be impacting and changing for the better, including your own!
