Understanding the Community Engagement Touchstone and Connecting it with CURE

What Does Service-Learning Mean to the Brinson Honors College Student?

WCU promotes the engagement of its students with the community through engaged learning and community outreach. Most commonly, engagement in learning and community outreach is designated as “service-learning”. In the Brinson Honors College the opportunity to participate in service-learning is the central pillar of the Community Engagement Touchstone.

Brinson Honors students are given an early opportunity to fulfill this WCU expectation, and connects Honors Students directly with the Western North Carolina community through CURE and the USI 101 course (HNRS USI 101 is service designated).

Through a dedicated partnership with the Center for Community Engagement and Service-Learning, Brinson Honors Students can participate in community engagement and outreach, and even earn recognition for their hard work with the Lilly Community Engagement Award.

By attending CURE and engaging regularly with WCU’s Center for Community Engagement and Service Learning students can find the right place to volunteer or do course-based service learning projects.

This year, as part of the USI 101 Portfolio requirement, students will attend CURE and kick start their service-learning journey. While you attend CURE, make sure you are doing the following:

• Complete any Canvas work assigned by your instructor BEFORE you arrive
• Collect artifacts like your passport, pledge, and reflection pieces while at CURE
• Affiliate with the community partners at CURE, and act by scheduling your service-learning requirement for USI 101
• After everything…create a final Service-Learning reflection and include it in your USI 101 portfolio