Social impact lab and community engaged learning : Back to the roots of practice

Community engaged learning is a transformative approach to experiential education, yet it presents significant challenges, including power imbalances between higher education institutions and communities, insufficient preparation for students and educators, and the difficulty of aligning academic and community priorities. The social impact lab model offers a pedagogical framework to address these challenges by integrating community engaged learning principles into instructional activities that engage students in addressing complex societal issues. This paper explores the theoretical foundations of the social impact lab, the key themes informing the development of a companion toolkit, and a structured roadmap for designing social impact lab experiences within project-based experiential education. By fostering ethical collaborations between academic institutions and community partners, the social impact lab seeks to enhance both student learning and meaningful social impact.