The Clarity Series: Community-Based Learning

Awakening the Mission of Public Schools

To fully prepare K-12 students for life and career, connect with your community!

A successful community-based learning program is a triple win—for students, schools, and the entire community. Curriculum becomes more meaningful and relevant, students are more engaged, and schools and districts benefit from new advocates.

Authors Prast and Viegut show how to move beyond guest speakers and field trips to creating a vibrant program that promotes academic achievement and future career skills. In this second acclaimed book in The Clarity Series, readers will learn how to

• Forge rewarding partnerships with local partners, from major employers to small businesses and community groups
• Implement a high-quality, sustainable initiative that bridges disciplines
• Recognize and overcome barriers to effectiveness
• Apply best practices from today’s most-effective programs

Turn to this helpful guide to tap the limitless opportunities and potential offered by community-based learning.

"Community-based learning, as described in this series, just might be the missing piece we are looking for on our competency-based, personalized learning quest for our students. If we can bring this work together—if we can connect them to their passion (personalize), move them along when they are ready (competency-based) and ground them in real life experience (community-based), perhaps we can truly give them the roots and the wings we have only been theorizing about for fifty years.”

—Dr. Sandra Dop, Program Consultant

Iowa Department of Education