Place-Based Learning and Community Engagement
Incorporating place-based learning in international programs helps courses align with the Bridge Experience principals, meet requirements for Pathways Courses, or simply support Hokies' Ut Prosim spirit.
It's also just good pedagogy. International programs that integrate community engagement and place-based learning:
- Deepen student learning and intercultural understanding.
- Inspire new academic and career pathways.
- Foster ethical, interdisciplinary collaboration.
- Strengthen Virginia Tech’s global partnerships.
What is Place-Based Learning?
Place-based learning connects academic content to the specific cultural, environmental, and social context of the host location.
It encourages students to:
- Learn with and from the community.
- Understand local challenges and strengths.
- Apply their knowledge in real-world, place-specific settings.
- Appreciate how place impacts everyone's lives.
What is International Community Engagement?
Community engagement in study abroad programs means building meaningful, ethical partnerships with local communities.
It’s about:
- Listening to and following the lead of host communities.
- Ensuring mutual benefit and respect.
- Creating long-term, sustainable relationships.
- Preparing students to contribute thoughtfully and responsibly.
Quick Start Guide:
1. Start with the Community
- Identify local partners early.
- Co-create goals and activities with community input.
- Ensure continuity from year to year.
2. Prepare Your Students
- Use the VESA Kit to introduce students to the community before departure.
- Encourage reflection and active listening.
- Train students in intercultural communication.
3. Build for the Long Term
- Document and reflect on each year’s experience.
- Connect past and future participants.
- Evaluate impact and adapt with community feedback.
Domestic Community Engagement
Community engagement happens all around Virginia Tech in many ways. Check out these resources to learn more about Virginia Tech's U.S.-based community engagement work:
Resources for faculty
Multimedia tools faculty can check out from the library that support student preparation and program continuity.
Support building curricula designed around experiential and intercultural learning.
Resources from Colleges & Centers
Published research from Virginia Tech faculty regarding place-based learning:
- Ruday, S., Azano, A. P., & Kuehl, R. (2021). Books as portals: Using place to understand rural students’ individuated reading experiences.
- Bass, E., Azano, A. P., & Callahan, C. M. (2020). A place for writing: Examining a place-based curriculum for high-performing rural writers.
- Kuehl, R., Azano, A. P., & Callahan, C. M. (2020). Gifted rural writers explore place in narrative fiction stories.
- Ruday, S., & Azano, A. P. (2019). Arguments that matter: A place-based approach to teaching argument writing to rural students.
- Kuehl, R., & Azano, A. P. (2023). Critical pedagogies of place in the language arts curriculum.
- Bass, E. L., & Azano, A. P. (2024). Reading and writing place: Connecting rural schools and communities.
- Scherer, H. H., & Azano, A. P. (2025). Storying the FEW Nexus: A Framework for Cultivating Place-Based Integrated STEM Education in Rural Schools.
- Taylor, L., & Brand, B. (2021). Enhancing place-based learning progression through epistemic agency...
- O’Brien, C. (2023). Understanding learning and action in place-based climate adaptation workshops.
- Mukuni, J. (2025). Fostering Experiential Knowledge of Cultural Diversity Through Studying Abroad. In IGI Global eBooks. IGI Global. https://doi.org/10.4018/979-8-3693-8653-8