The Graduate School
Community Engagement
Community Engagement projects provide students with an opportunity to have an impact in their communities while they are graduate students. PDCE's Community Engagement efforts encourage students to find ways to integrate community engagement in their courses of study and research, both as graduate students and once they are professionals. It seeks to give them the means and opportunities to bring their expertise and commitments to bear on important community issues, whether The University of Texas community, the local community, or the global community. Recognizing that the university is actively involved in its local and global community, PDCE focuses those efforts through collaborations and curriculum.
There are a number of ways for students to become engaged.
Students can enroll in GRS 392J: Community Engagement Projects to earn course credit, learn project management, conduct independent study research, and apply their knowledge while working on actual problem-based research projects for clients in the public, private, and non-profit sectors. Contact Leslie Jarmon (232-3617) for more information.
Students can also enroll in GRS 390C: Academic and Professional Consulting. This course gives students a hands-on opportunity to learn consulting skills by working with members of the community on a project to map and make recommendations for youth services and mentoring. Contact Thomas Darwin (232-3632) for more information.
Many of the GRS Courses include assignments and class projects that involve students in community issues, as do our Internships (K-12, Professional, Preparing Future Faculty).
Beyond courses and internships, students can also create their own projects in collaboration with PDCE. Such projects could include anything from students (or teams of students) doing research on community issues to directly helping community partners design solutions to complex problems. Students who are interested in this option can contact Thomas Darwin for more information.
Members of the community are encouraged to contact us with ideas for collaboration or questions about how they become involved in the program.