Impact of Place Based learning on Community Engagement and Ownership

Place-based learning (PBL) offers an educational approach that emphasizes local history, environments, and communities, allowing students to engage with relevant content through the expertise gained from lived experiences. By utilizing their immediate surroundings, students are able to absorb educational material and foster a sense of place that can encourage civic engagement, environmental stewardship, and community ownership. This senior capstone research project explores the potential to enhance community ownership and engagement in Salinas, California through a Problem-Based Learning (PBL) approach. This project integrates the local geological and cultural history of California, Monterey Bay, and the Salinas Valley, alongside hands-on water quality testing to seek the answer to the central question: “How can place-based learning improve community ownership and engagement in the Monterey and Salinas areas?” Through a comprehensive literature review, data from educational workshops, scientific research activities, surveys, and community interviews, the findings highlight the transformative impact of PBL in connecting students and residents to their local natural and built environments while fostering active citizenship. The PBL approach does not only strengthen student engagement and ownership, but also helps bridge the educational divide by enhancing students’ sense of community and awareness in Salinas, CA.