Many students who come to the University of Denver want to contribute to the public good and con­tinue their civic development. The Center for Community Engagement to advance Scholarship and Learning (CCESL) leads the campus in embracing the University of Denver’s commitment to “being a great private university dedicated to the public good.” CCESL's vision is that everyone experiences liberation and flourishing through their community-university collaborations. Therefore, CCESL programs foster collaboration among faculty, staff, students, and community partners to advance knowledge and social change for the public good. 

CCESL offers students opportunities to engage in meaningful collaborations with communities. Students develop the knowledge, skills, and commitments to become agents of collaborative change, believing in their power to act in concert with others. Students tackle grand challenges and connect with university and community change-makers by applying their academic learning to real-world problems through DU Grand Challenges. Students connect learning and doing through community-engaged courses that involve partnerships between classes and communities. These courses, which contribute to the Community Engagement for the Public Good undergraduate certificate, offer students opportunities to develop critical thinking skills, enhance civic engagement, address public issues, and cultivate leadership abilities. Students transfer their learning from classes to projects that address complex problems of importance to the student and the public good through Signature Work with individualized mentorship from faculty and staff.  Honing skills to become tomorrow’s civic leaders, students learn to collaborate through research and creative work with community partners from CCESL’s Scholar Shop. As Community-Engaged Fellows or Scholars, students develop their civic identities while preparing for active participation in civic life through public good work and community organizing. Students connect community-engaged activities to academic learning through critical reflection, examination of root causes, community building, and increasing campus and community capacities. 

CCESL is a gateway for students to deepen their public good work. Please visit our website or call at 303-871-3706, or email ccesl@du.edu.