Chapter 6: The Community-Based Learning Coordinator Model: Investing in Infrastructure for Community Impact Through Service-Learning

Research on service-learning seeks models that hit the trifecta of stakeholder development: courses that advance the goals of students, faculty, and communities all at once. Historically, research has focused on the gains of students and faculty development, and less so on the impact on community partner development and what factors lead to mutually beneficial and reciprocal relationships/partnerships. This research analyzes a structured program for community–university partnerships started in 1993, the community-based learning coordinator (CBLC) model, which seeks to operationalize the principles of mutuality and sustainability espoused in such statements as the Carnegie Classification definition of Community Engagement. Our study of the CBLC model affirms that the core elements of time, money, and communication are present in ways that stabilize the conditions that lead to mutuality and reciprocity. This study presents a successful and replicable model for structured community–university partnerships that increase sustainable pathways for local community development through service-learning courses.