Interested in having Yale students complete a research project for your organization?
Community-Based Learning (CBL) is a program that allows Yale undergraduates and community partners to work together to meet your organization’s needs and students’ academic requirements. You identify projects of research, analysis, or evaluation that would support your mission. Your projects are then matched to academic courses at Yale, and students complete the projects in place of a final paper for the class.
CBL PROJECTS
CBL projects replace students’ final papers, meaning they typically amount to a 15-25 page paper, or equivalent. Projects may require students to spend some time at your organization, but students must be able to complete a significant component of the project offsite. If your organization is interested in regular volunteers or interns, please visit Dwight Hall for more information on setting up such partnerships.
Sample projects that students have submitted in previous semesters are available here.
CBL (service)
Though a majority of the projects we facilitate are grounded in research, CBL also supports some service-based projects. CBL(service) allows students to help advance the goals of local organizations, while also gaining valuable real-world experience. For instance, instead of researching strategies for improving New Haven’s streetscape, a student engaged in a CBL(service) project might be asked to coordinate a city-wide effort to plant trees. These projects should be more than one-time service opportunities; students are expected to demonstrate a prolonged and significant commitment to your organization’s goals and will be asked to submit a written reflection upon completion of their service. Students will also receive course credit upon completion of their service.
CBL (service) is subject to the same deadlines and requirements as the CBL research projects. You must decide in what ways and how often students will contribute to your organization.
SUBMIT A PROJECT PROPOSAL
(Specific instructions for when and how to submit proposals for Fall 2015 TBA.)
CBL proposals should outline the central question(s) of the research project, as well as how the research will support your organization or agency’s work and (if not immediately evident) the project’s connection to the academic material covered.
Proposals need not be more than a page or two, but please consider:
- Your organization will appoint a project supervisor, who must remain in contact with the student paired with your project, as well as with the CBL coordinators.
- Projects must have be significantly academically rigorous. Writing a profile on the operations of your organization, for example, would not typically qualify for CBL. Please contact us to discuss in more detail this requirement.
- Final projects will typically be submitted at the end of the academic semester.
PREVIOUS PARTNERS INCLUDE:
- ArtSpace
- JUNTA for Progressive Action
- New Haven Land Trust
- NH POWer
- Site Projects, Inc.
- Tweed-New Haven Airport