Community involvement within a classroom enhances learning. Partnering with the community to bring experts and resources into schools not only familiarizes students with the community of resources around them, it also emphasizes learning. Creating partnerships within the local community brings passion and knowledge into the learning environment of the classroom and school.
Inviting local expertise and community professionals into the classroom benefits students academically, socially, and emotionally. Teachers can learn through local expertise they invite into the classroom, increasing their knowledge and bettering their ability to academically teach students. By bringing expertise into the classroom, students also have an increased exposure to professionals within their community. This experience can give students ideas for their own professions, increasing their awareness of the possibilities of their own futures and giving them hopes and dreams. Exposure to professionals at a young age gives students ideas and can spark student interest in different fields. Local, community partnerships can strengthen relationships between the school and community. Local partnerships can also be centered around the use of community resources. Teachers can utilize the local community park as a field trip for students to enhance their awareness of the community. Teachers could also partner with local community businesses and professionals to work towards grants and funding for classroom enhancement. Community engagement encompasses a variety of aspects. By connecting the classroom and the community, teachers are bettering the learning experience for their students.
Examples of Community Partnerships:
1. Local First Responders: Bringing firefighters, police officers, and emergency medical services into the classroom to talk about the importance of safety and well-being can give students a more real outlook and understanding of the importance of safety.
2. Local Farmers: Bringing local farmers into the classroom to explain how farming and agriculture work can allow students to understand the fundamentals of food production. Paired with a classroom garden, this community partnership could be beneficial in emphasizing classroom learning.
3. Local Physical Therapist of Gym Owner: Bringing a local nutritionist, gym owner, or physical therapist into the classroom to talk about exercise and physical health could help students better understand the importance of eating right and exercising, forming good health habits at a young age.
References:
https://www.edutopia.org/practice/community-partners-making-student-learning-relevant
