About

Vision of the OCEL

The Office of Community-Engaged Learning (OCEL) aims to build long-term, asset-based partnerships with community organizations based in Poughkeepsie, Dutchess County, and the greater Hudson Valley. By developing and centering partnerships, the OCEL provides students with the opportunity to learn alongside community partner organizations and make real-world connections to enhance their academic experiences. The OCEL connects students, community partners, and faculty community-identified projects to deepen classroom learning, build capacity at community organizations, and empower students to become active change agents in their communities.

Key Elements of Community-Engaged Learning Experiences

• Exploring interests and passions of social justice action areas
• Increasing self-awareness of social identities and social positionality
• Sharpening of critical analysis skills around larger systems of privilege, power, and oppression
• Enhancing classroom learning through praxis (the cycle of action and reflection)
• Developing professional skills that contribute to vocational and career goals
• Learning more about Poughkeepsie and the surrounding area
• Understanding the strengths and assets of the local community

OCEL Team

Staff

Student Co-Workers

History

The Office of Community-Engaged Learning was previously known as the “Field Work” office. Established in 1949, the program was developed in cooperation with “civic, welfare, fraternal and church groups” and gave students the opportunity to learn while contributing to the community. In its early years, the office provided students with field experiences allowing them to do applied work with community organizations. From the 1990s to 2017, the office provided students with experiential opportunities that allowed them to examine the way in which the theories and practical experiences of a particular discipline interact. In 2017, the Field Work office was reborn as the “Office of Community-Engaged Learning” (OCEL). During the 2017 restructuring, the OCEL sought to create mutually beneficial relationships with community organizations that give students the opportunity to enhance classroom learning, learn alongside community partners, and empower students to become active change agents in their communities. In 2024, the OCEL continued to align its pedagogical approach and partnership building practices to best practices in the field of critical community-engaged learning. The OCEL works to center epistemic justice, community voice, and asset-based partnership building to support strong partnerships in a place-based way.