Our projects
Community Engaged Learning (CEL) at York encourages opportunities for teaching and student-led volunteering programmes.
Across 93 projects, we have supported community partners and promoted sustainable communities, working for the public good.
Contact us
Sarah Rafferty
Community Engaged Learning Manager
Undergraduate volunteers
Postgraduate facilitators
Community partners
The Sustainability Clinic
Part of our suite of York Interdisciplinary Modules (YIMs), this module has been developed as a collaboration between Environmental Sustainability at York (ESAY), Careers and Placements, the Baroness Hale Law Clinic and York Environmental Sustainability Institute (YESI).
Students work as part of an interdisciplinary team to help community partners find a solution to, or better understand, a real-life sustainability problem that matters to them.
I was so impressed with the student team. They were thoughtful and challenged me to improve my sustainability - I have already made changes! I would thoroughly recommend this project.
SME partner
Public history
The Public history community projects are offered exclusively to students in the Department of History, allowing our students to gain real-world experience of historical practice in education, media, museums or consultancy.
Teams work together to produce a valuable piece of research, workshop or resource for a local partner organisation, which includes the Merchant Taylors' Hall primary school workshops.
Community projects
Our central Community Projects offer a great opportunity for students to work in interdisciplinary teams, as an extracurricular activity to tackle real-world challenges for local organisations.
Students work as part of a small interdisciplinary team supporting a community partner such as a school, museum or charity on a specific brief they have set to tackle a local challenge. Teams might conduct research, deliver an event or create a resource to make a positive impact in the community.
I’m bowled over by the team’s dedication and efforts. We feel really privileged to have a band of skilful and knowledgeable students collaborating with us. Volunteers’ efforts to improve our green space are infinitely more likely to succeed with this kind of project.
Community partner
The benefits of CEL
Between 2020-22, we were one of 20 successful bids to receive £10 million in funding from the Office for Students (OfS), to develop a model to scale up Community Engaged Learning.
During this time, benefits were identified for all participants:
- Students found their confidence was boosted and were able to connect with the community.
- Partners developed new ideas and perspectives and found they could build on their capacity.
- Academics and senior management reported a boost in the employability and active citizenship of students, promoting the university's mission for public good.
Contact us
Sarah Rafferty
Community Engaged Learning Manager