Putting "Community" Back Into Urban Education: Lessons From Community College Service-Learning and Practicum Experiences

Session Type: Symposium

Abstract

Community colleges play a fundamental role in providing affordable and accessible educational opportunities to students from a wide range of backgrounds, including those most impacted by the economic fallout of the pandemic and the injustices of structural racism. More than half of U.S. undergraduates are educated at community colleges. These institutions are linked through a common set of goals: access, equity, diversity, justice, and community engagement. This symposium explores service learning and fieldwork within community college teacher education programs, with a focus on partnerships that deepen learning and strengthen relationships with the community. The three presentations and discussion will explore the unique challenges and opportunities of community colleges serving students within urban communities.

Sub Unit

• Division K - Teaching and Teacher Education / Division K - Section 06: Approaches and Models for Field Experiences, Student Teaching, and School/Community Collaborations

Chair

• Yolanda A. Medina, The City University of New York

Papers

• From the Margins of the Classroom to Mattering: How Community College Education Students Develop Teacher Identities - Rebecca Garte, Borough of Manhattan Community College; Cara Kronen, Borough of Manhattan Community College

• Community College Teacher Education Programs as Incubators for Teacher-Activists - Yolanda A. Medina, The City University of New York; Cara Kronen, Borough of Manhattan Community College; Kirsten Cole, Borough of Manhattan Community College - CUNY

• The City as Classroom: Transforming Community College Teacher Education Fieldwork Experiences Through Partnerships With Museums - Mindi Reich-Shapiro, Borough of Manhattan Community College

Discussant

• Eleanor J. Blair, Western Carolina University