UNIVERSITY PARK, Pa. — Penn State instructors who seek fresh and innovative ideas to design a new course assignment, or who have an old assignment that needs a revamp, are invited to apply to the Classroom-to-Community (C2C) program. Sponsored by Penn State University Libraries’ Teaching and Learning with Technology (TLT), C2C provides faculty the opportunity to critically evaluate their course assignments and transform traditional assignments into authentic, renewable experiences that foster digital fluency among students.

Authentic assignments require students to apply classroom concepts to practical, real-world contexts, such as identifying pressing issues within a community of interest and making a positive impact on that community. Renewable assignments ensure the instructions and student artifacts exist beyond the course’s completion. This could involve using open pedagogy or a more limited sharing of assignment materials with other instructors and students who are involved in the course.

Additionally, C2C assignments prepare students for success in the digital age by requiring students to leverage one or more advanced digital technologies, such as Google Earth, Padlet, or Spatial to complete assignment objectives.

Through collaboration with learning designers from TLT and community partners, faculty will create innovative C2C assignments that extend their instruction beyond the traditional classroom and help guide students to make a lasting impact on the communities they wish to serve.

Starting in Fall 2024, C2C will be a one-year engagement with two cohorts to choose from for the 2024–25 program:

• Cohort 1 — Design in the fall and implement in the spring: This cohort is for faculty who will be teaching a course in spring 2025 and would like to implement a C2C assignment in that course. Assignment design will start in fall 2024, and implementation support will be provided in the spring.
• Cohort 2 — Design in the spring and implement in the following fall semester: This cohort is for faculty who will be teaching in fall 2025 with a C2C assignment and want to start designing the assignment in spring 2025. Implementation support will be provided in fall 2025. Summer engagements may be considered.

Cohort 1 will start this September, and Cohort 2 will start in February 2025. The application form for both cohorts is open. Interested faculty may choose to enroll in one or both cohorts.

Once applications are submitted, faculty will be notified with more details on how to proceed. C2C welcomes all Penn State faculty to apply. Email questions to Helen Hu at huh162@psu.edu.