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“CU Engage courses provide opportunities for students to make their learning relevant to issues that affect them and surrounding communities,” explains Ben Kirshner, Director of CU Engage.

Offering a range of course options in leadership development, civic engagement, dialogues across difference, and coaching youth in public schools, CU Engage classes will deepen students’ understanding and build students’ skills, preparing them to work more effectively across differences. Students will not only read about themes such as social change and democracy, but they will apply their learning to issues that affect them and communities beyond the campus. (See a full list of course offerings at the end of this announcement.)

For example, in LEAD 1000—Becoming a Leader, students will gain a sense of self-awareness and reflect on their own values and beliefs based on their life experiences. They will learn how leadership has been conceptualized and applied in a variety of fields, while also assessing their own strengths and weaknesses as leaders.

“People used to think leaders were born, not made. Many young people do not see themselves as leaders while they are students,” explains Leticia Sanchez, Director of Leadership Studies and Community Partnerships at CU Engage. “The Leadership Studies Minor is designed to encourage students to breakdown the traditional models of leadership and develop their own sense of what being a leader is.”

Describing another CU Engage course, EDUC 2919 / INVS 2919 — Renewing Democracy in Communities and Schools, Public Achievement Director Charla Agnoletti notes, “Our class content and community impact focus on social justice issues that affect youth in Boulder County. Once a week Public Achievement coaches (undergrads) go to one four schools (elementary, middle or high school). We work with students to identify social justice issues in the community, design action plans to address those issues, and then implement student-led service and projects.”

Three other courses — INVS 1523 – Civic Engagement:  Using Democracy as a Tool for Social Change; EDUC 2800 – Dialogue Across Difference; and LEAD 4000 — Leadership Capstone — encourage students to expand their horizons as well, through work that includes exploring democratic values in the context of U.S. democracy; developing theoretical knowledge and practical skills to participate successfully in a diverse democratic society; considering how the practice of dialogue can build deeper understanding of self and others; developing leadership skills through learning about and practicing dialogue across difference in a collaborative classroom environment; and, in the case of the Leadership Capstone, allowing students to synthesize knowledge from prior course work and apply it to a practicum project carried out with partner organizations in the community.

CU Engage works collaboratively with community groups to address complex public challenges through research and action. Learn about each of our programs .

For questions about our work or any of these courses please don’t hesitate to contact CU Engage at cuengage@colorado.edu.

INVS 1523 – Civic Engagement: Using Democracy as a Tool for Social Change W 5:30pm-8:00pm

This course educates and inspires students for civic engagement. Together, we will explore democratic values in the context of U.S. democracy, and the rights and responsibilities of citizenship. Students will develop theoretical knowledge and practical skills to participate successfully in a diverse democratic society, primarily at the state level in Colorado. They will gain first-hand experiences critically analyzing legislative issues, developing policy recommendations, and learning to advocate for change for their generation.

EDUC 2919 / INVS 2919 – Renewing Democracy in Communities and Schools M 1:00pm – 2:00pm or M 2:55pm – 4:25pm plus practicum

Students examine concepts of community activism, democracy, power, and diversity in the Monday Seminar and then participate in “coaching” groups of K-12 students as part of the Public Achievement program. Teams of K-12 students and CU student coaches will design and implement a public action project over the course of the academic year. Project issues include immigration, bullying, environment, youth poverty, homelessness, animal abuse, racism, and sexism. CU students will develop leadership skills, work with diverse groups of people, identify multiple perspectives around controversial issues, and learn to use research and writing to articulate public problems and advocate for their solutions. May be repeated up to 6 total credit hours.

Practicum required. Please contact Charla.Agnoletti@Colorado.EDU for consent to add class. Fulfills A&S Core Curr: Human Diversity and Education Minor requirements.

LEAD 1000 – Becoming a Leader section 001: TTh 9:30am – 10:45am; section 002: TTh 11:00am – 12:15pm; section 003: TTh 11:00am –12:15pm

This foundation course for the Leadership Studies Minor prepares students to exercise leadership in business, government, community groups, and nonprofit organizations. Students will learn leadership skills that are useful in a variety of settings including community and civic activities. The course will help students to improve self awareness, understand multiple theories, deepen their knowledge of the importance of moral courage, build analytic and critical thinking skills, and adapt leadership practices to differences in individuals.

EDUC 2800 – Dialogue Across Difference – MW 2:45-4:00pm

Dialogue is a form of communication that can defuse the polarization that characterizes much public discourse and generate understanding that can transform individuals, communities and institutions. In this course, students will examine models of dialogic communication and theories of intergroup relations and consider how the practice of dialogue can build deeper understanding of self and others, reinvigorate democratic values and foster a more just and equitable society. Students will develop leadership skills through learning about and practicing dialogue across difference in a collaborative classroom environment. Through hands-on experience participating in, observing, and leading dialogues students will learn how to facilitate dialogues among their peers in a variety of campus and community settings.

LEAD 4000 - Leadership in Context and Emerging Challenges: A Capstone section 010: M 3:00pm – 5:30pm; section 020: T 3:00pm – 5:30pm; section 030: W 9:00am – 11:30am

This capstone course integrates leadership topics and experiences students pursued through the Leadership Studies Minor. Using advanced critical thinking skills, the seminar requires students to evidence their knowledge, competencies and skills related to leadership theory and practice through examining contemporary leadership challenges. Further, the seminar directs students to justify decision-making processes, demonstrating their ability to synthesize prior knowledge to effect desirable, ethical outcomes. In addition to class lecture, one hour per week is required for team meetings to work on the course’s leadership challenge. The additional time fulfills the requirement for the practicum component.

Requires a prerequisite course of LEAD 1000 or LDSP 1000 or PRLC 1810 (minimum grade D-). Restricted to students with 57-180 credits (Juniors or Seniors).