E-Service Learning for Boosting Academic Civic Engagement in Rural Areas

Stimulating innovative learning and teaching practices while rewarding excellence in learning, teaching and skills development.

About the Project

The Erasmus+ project CIVENHANCE aims to enhance the capacity of higher education (HE) teachers to implement e-service-learning (e-SL) initiatives that promote civic engagement and foster stronger connections between universities and rural communities. Central to the project is developing a comprehensive training course to equip HE teachers with the necessary skills to guide students in executing impactful e-SL projects. Simultaneously, a tailored orientation program will be created to prepare students for meaningful civic engagement through these experiences, empowering them to contribute to rural communities actively. In addition, the project will develop a user-friendly digital matchmaking platform to facilitate collaboration between HE institutions, teachers, students, and rural community partners. This platform will serve as a central hub, fostering sustainable partnerships and ensuring long-term social inclusion, civic engagement, and community prosperity. Through these combined efforts, the project seeks to create a lasting impact by embedding effective e-SL practices within rural contexts.

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Objectives

Enhance the inclusiveness of Higher Education (HE) systems by promoting civic engagement through the adoption of e-service-learning (e-SL) in rural communities, while also acknowledging the community work in students’ academic achievements.

Promote e-SL as an innovative learning and teaching methodology, by creating a modular online and in-person course for HE teachers to organize and implement e-SL projects addressing rural and remote areas community partners.

To recognize excellence in learning, teaching, and skills development by fostering an innovative and entrepreneurial approach of HEIs and lecturers, which implies forging partnerships with commercial and noncommercial organizations, particularly rural and remote community partners, through an innovative matchmaking platform that will be developed for the sake of this Project.

Train HE lecturers to support their students to engage with rural partners, enriching their learning experiences and contributing to the improvement of society.