1. Community Education Plan: The Community and Curriculum
The Community and Curriculum:
How a Curriculum that Embraces the
Community Can Increase the Level Of
Active Citizenship Within Our Youth
Andriana Zarate
CUIN 7303
Dr. Brower

2. Community Education Plan: The Community and Curriculum 1
The Community and Curriculum:
How a Curriculum that Embraces the
Community Can Increase the Level Of
Active Citizenship Within Our Youth
A grand portion of human learning is gained through that of experience. More often than
not, education and learning that occurs outside of the classroom typically tends to be the learning
that lasts a lifetime. If we as educators can instill good, productive, and proactive citizenship
with methods such as place based and community learning, I believe we can create a stronger
community that includes and holds a place for our youth. A curriculum that involves many field
trips and opportunities to promote community and place based would be one that greatly
increases the level of active citizenship within our youth as well as expands learning prospects.
In order for students to receive an active learning experience and attain real world
knowledge and skills they must be able to apply their learning to things most familiar to them;
their community and surroundings. The position our youth and adolescents hold within our
community is often blurred, undefined or non-existent. The idea that fresh high school graduates
are to use their fourteen years of American education to become productive members of our
communities is an understanding one. However this expectation is nearly an illogical thought
when a large majority of the educational systems in place across the United States do not
properly prepare our youth for the knowledge and skills needed to achieve real world success
and appropriate community contribution. By not involving communities and real world
experiences in our student’s curriculum we are robbing them of lifelong skills needed to become
a productive and active citizen within society. How I believe schools and districts can increase
active student citizenship and create an active learning environment for students is by allowing

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learners to practice and participate in real world learning and experiences. How students can gain
real world learning and experiences is by way of place-based and community education.
Place based and community learning is not just about becoming aware of your
surroundings and community. Place based and community learning allows for the hands on
learning that many learners need in order to attain lifelong learning. The components listed in
regards to place based and project based learning could serve as a wonderful method to creating
a good sense of citizenship as well as appreciating education. When students enjoy learning often
they tend to establish a sense of appreciation toward learning and education. Place-based
education and community education are both focused on providing an active learning experience
with an overall goal of developing real world knowledge and skills. Students who participate in
both community and place-based education have the opportunity to connect to their community
and resources that the community has to offer. Where the two differ seems to be location. Placed
based learning appears to emphasize much on outdoor learning. Community education can most
certainly occur outdoors, however it also aims more toward working with the people of the
community and bettering the community. Place based had a focus on the communities natured
environment. However I could see how the fundamentals of the two mirror.
The components listed in regards to place-based learning programs not only benefit the
students but the community as well. The six components contained in placed-based learning are:
transform school culture, help students learn, connect schools and community, invite students to
become active citizens and lastly energize teachers. (Place-based Education Evaluation
Collaborative. 2010) Each one of these components would certainly appear to have a positive
ripple effect expanding to the community. Each one of these components allows for both the

4. Community Education Plan: The Community and Curriculum 3
student and teacher to become actively engaged within the community lived in. encouraging
students from such a young age to become positively evolved in the community would bring a
plethora of positive results.
Community learning is much like place-based learning as it invites students to become
involved and aware of the world around them. Melaville a contributing author to Community-
based learning: Engaging students for success and citizenship aimed to “magnify student voice,
build strategic alliances and partnerships, strengthen professional development, expand the use
of community based-learning in the curriculum, strengthen policy and expand support for
research” (Melaville et al., 2006, P.27) Her goals and the overarching goals for community-
learning are grand goals that would greatly enhance the level of active citizenship within our
youth. Community and placed based learning are very similar, and what would also fit under the
umbrella of these types of learning is project-based learning. Although these three share quite a
few similarities I feel as though project-based learning really coincides with community. Project
based learning is something that I feel should be within every curriculum plan because it
promotes not only active citizenship but good citizenship.
Community learning occurs all around us, a wonderful illustration of community-based
learning is Texans Together. Their goal lies in “empowering leaders in communities, promoting
civic engagement, and organizing for the good of the communities.” What really resonates
throughout their goals is promoting civic engagement. Community based learning is meant to
create lifelong civic leaders and to teach students civic responsibility. This organization is a great
example of what needs to occur within our schools in order to create active citizens. I believe

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integrating both community based learning and placed based learning into a curriculum will help
to create those active citizens and Texans Together would be a great model for that portion of the
curriculum. A good community education plan would be one that greatly stresses the importance
of involvement in your community. And how educators would reinforce this thinking is by way
of field trips that promote community learning and place based learning. While conducting the
community investigation I came across many places and communities centers within the district
that schools were not taking advantage of such as Bear Creek Park. A vast variety of themed
field trips could occur here promoting active citizenship within our youth. I think if schools and
districts focused a greater portion of expenses on field trips to community centers where students
can engage in project based and placed based learning, then students real world experiences
would greatly increase prior to their expected entry into adult society. Field trips do not have to
be across town, they can and should occur within their very own community, including parks,
libraries, and community centers. A trip to the park for a project based learning event can bring a
great sense of pride to students after seeing their positive impact as well as allow for a wonderful
real world learning experience. I feel as though one project-based learning event should occur
each semester starting from kindergarten through the twelfth grade. Projects should start small
and as students mature, grow into more evolved events. Each six weeks I feel students should
have the opportunity to become involved in a placed based/community based learning experience
that is related to the topic under study. The overall goal for involving community within the
curriculum is set to create a continual sequence of real world experiences for students that allow
enhanced learning and promote active citizenship within the community.

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As human beings we learn most through experience. Those experiences we encounter
during our youth often shape individuals lives and perspectives. Also quite often those
experiences and kind of relationship that one has within their community upbringing can
structure what kind of citizenship one will have within that particular community or future
community dwellings. Because individuals spend a large majority of their lives within a
structured school setting where lifelong learning is intended to occur, I think integrating
community into the curriculum is detrimental to students applicable academic achievements as
well as their sense of self and place within the community.

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References
Melaville, A., & Berg, A. (2006). Community-based learning: Engaging students for success and
citizenship. Washington, D.C.: Coalition for Community Schools.
Place-based Education Evaluation Collaborative. 2010. The Benefits of Place-based Education:
A Report from the Place-based Education Evaluation Collaborative (Second Edition). Retrieved
[12/3/2014] from http://tinyurl.com/PEECBrochure