ABOUT US
BUILDING A COMMUNITY OF EDUCATORS
As an organization Community Works Institute serves as a beacon, supporter, and provider of collegial collaboration, professional development, and innovative tools and resources for educators. We stand for a shared belief in education that is centered on community with students as active learners in service to their community. We believe that building a long term community of connected like minded educators offers the best opportunity for encouraging and sustaining change and innovation.
Community Works Institute is a 501(c)(3) non profit that since 1995 has served as a nexus of support and common endeavor in the field of education—drawing together and galvanizing individual educators, institutions, and community members—around curriculum that has place as the context, service-learning as the strategy, and sustainability as the goal.
“I personally feel enlightened by the spirit and commitment of all the educators at the Institute. They supported my ideals…. This was truly an example of people who love and understand learning. How special to have been a part of it. Thank you!”
Erin Ruegg, Teacher
Colegio Jorge Washington, Columbia, SA
MOBILIZING EDUCATORS AS AGENTS OF CHANGE
Community Works Institute seeks to mobilize our participating educators, students, and community members through events, publications, and our web presence. We are working to bring together educators with a shared interest, focus, beliefs and methods.
MEMBERS, ALUMNI, PARTICIPANTS
Community Works Institute's members, alumni, and participants include K-16 and non-formal educators, along with students, administrators, program personnel, policy makers and most importantly of course, community members. Our members include educators who are “veterans of practice,” and those who are interested, curious and seeking guidance and support. In addition, Community Works also strives to be relevant and useful to community members and parents who can be counted as some of education's best advocates in local communities. Community Works seeks to create an exponentially increasing community of educators across the U.S. and abroad—speaking the same language of purpose, practice, and strategy. Some of these are educators who attend our events while others participate solely as members of our on-line community.
“...wonderful! I found it delicious to find so many spirited educators who have a wide and deep understanding of the possibility of what education can be.”
Hope Hawkins, Project Manager
Future of Life, Wilmington, Delaware
WHAT WE DO
As a national organization, reaching an international audience, our primary annual events take place at Shelburne Farms in Vermont and in Claremont, California, with various outreach activities in other locations. Our activities and programs include an integrated series of professional development opportunities operating under the name Community Works Institute. The Institute utilizes a field tested framework and faculty team, with a shared expertise and approach to integrating service-learning, place based-education, and education for sustainability. The Institute faculty share a priority in building an integrated understanding, application, and grassroots movement around these core strategies and concepts.
Through our events and publication arm Community Works Press, and through our web presence, we actively seek to bring together educators with an interest in deepening the connections between community and education.
“This was the best Institute or conference that I have ever attended!"
Terry Yamamoto-Edwards, Science Teacher
Asst. Director, Luke Center for Public Service
Punahou School, Honolulu, Hawaii
OUTREACH AFIELD
We provide local onsite consulting services, in-services, and trainings each year across the U.S. (fee schedule available on request) Community Works faculty members have also presented workshops nationally and regionally for organizations that include: Association for Supervision and Curriculum Development (ASCD), Foxfire National Conference, National Conference on Service-Learning, Governor’s Conference on Prevention, Improving America’s Schools Conference, National Large Scale Assessment Conference, and National Service-Learning and Assessment Conferences. read more
RESOURCES FOR EDUCATORS & COMMUNITY PARTNERS
include events, trainings, and resources that help to create and sustain a movement toward integrating service-learning, place-based and sustainability education. read more
Examples of resources that we provide include:
• Site based Outreach and Consulting by Institute Faculty
• Annual Summer Institutes for Educators
• Curriculum Tools, Exemplars
• Reflections and Research from Educators in the Field
• Support for Documentation and Publication
• Publications that include Community Works Journal
“Impressive diversity of experience. The format and pacing was fantastic.
Thank you for providing a new stronger foundation for me to build my school year on with my students.”
Dan Gross, Teacher/Guide
Ridge & Valley Charter School
Blairstown, New Jersey
PROFESSIONAL DEVELOPMENT
Our workshops and trainings are teacher tested, user friendly and highly effective. We also provide support for student assessment and reflection, curriculum documentation and publishing with students. All workshops are facilitated by veteran faculty members of Community Works Institute. read more
OUR FACULTY
Community Works' Institute Faculty members are veteran educators and trainers. Our faculty is comprised of a large multi-state group of experienced practitioners with very diverse backgrounds. Our faculty members have worked at all levels from classroom to program, and on state and regional initiatives. Faculty members are well versed in ground level realities, competing priorities, and can help a school or district sensibly bring these together to implement their goals. Faculty share tools and exemplars and are available for direct support to participanting schools. read more
Community Works has supported a wide variety of schools, regional programs and organizations. Our resources and publications—in-print and on-line— have been accessed and used by educators from across the US, Canada, and around the world. Schools & Programs supported
CONTACT INFORMATION
for information on upcoming events and unique opportunities for teachers and schools, please contact Community Works at: 909-480-3966, or by email at: info@communityworksonline.org
MAILING ADDRESS:
PO Box 1390, Claremont, CA 91711 • tel: 909-480-3966
We would like to thank the many students, teachers and educational organizations who continue to thoughtfully share their work with us.
This Web site is made possible, in part, with support from The Bay and Paul Foundations. Support for our work also comes from generous contributions of individual donors. Become a contributor and supporter
Community Works Institute is operated by Community Works, Inc., a 501(c)(3) non profit educational organization.
