Community Engagement in Business Education: Addressing Sustainability Issues Through Student-Team Consulting

A private university incorporated community engagement in a business capstone course that connected students with the local community, exposed them to sustainability challenges, and showed the inherent value of community engagement. The business capstone is a project-based course where students engage in student-team business consulting, working with local non-profit organizations. The non-profit organizations address social, environmental, and economic issues faced by residents who represent underserved populations in marginalized communities. The goal is to develop socially responsible business leaders with a global mindset. Learning is not only deepened, students are rewarded with a sense of empowerment to do good for society.