"My whole life I've wanted to be the kind of person anyone can lean on, and the more I look into each of the issues raised by the Engelhard Project, the more I am able to be that person." -Engelhard student

"This is quite possibly the best course I've ever taken at Georgetown." -Engelhard student

"In contrast to all of the other courses that I have taken during my college career, this course dealt with health and mental issues that are actually important to my friends, my peers, and me." -Engelhard student

"If only all courses could prove to be so relevant to my personal and educational growth….This class is truly reflective of what all courses in college ought to be." -Engelhard student

"I often left class invigorated and would go home to do more research on the matters we had focused on that day." -Engelhard student

"I appreciate that, even in a large class, I can feel a sense of personal gain and growth through the Engelhard Project." -Engelhard student

"This course really opened my eyes and gave me a new way of thinking." -Engelhard student

"This class made me think about my own life experiences and frame them in a more focused and thoughtful manner." -Engelhard student

Engelhard Blog

April 10, 2012

Engelhard Professors Donoghue and Stiles recognized for teaching

Faculty Fellows are given the 2012 Dean’s Award for Excellence in Teaching

March 15, 2012

Engelhard Fellow featured at Shift Series

Sarah Stiles talks about her Engelhard course on social entrepreneurship

Join the Project

The Engelhard Endowment for Engaged Learning opens up many new opportunities for Georgetown faculty, health professionals, staff and students to become part of the Engelhard Project for Connecting Life and Learning. Faculty and health professionals can participate as Faculty Fellows or Health Professional Fellows. Faculty, staff and students can take part in new research and exploration into engaged learning practices.

As Engelhard Faculty Fellows, faculty members create space in a course for connections between regular course content and a mental health and/or wellness topic that is relevant to students' lives. In addition, Faculty Fellows participate in project meetings and assessments, and attend a Safety Net Training, which provides an overview of campus student health resources and illustrates how faculty can help match those resources to student need. Engelhard Health Professional Fellows work with a Faculty Fellow to present or facilitate a discussion on the chosen wellness topic for the course. Faculty Fellows receive a stipend of between $500 and $800, depending on the size of the course, and can request limited additional funding for teaching assistants. Stipends are also available for Health Professional Fellows.

The Fellows Development Committee is happy to speak with any faculty, health professional, staff member or student interested in becoming part of the Engelhard Project. Please contact committee members Joan Riley or Joselyn Schultz Lewis.

FAQ

What is curriculum infusion?

For Engelhard courses, the curriculum infusion approach involves finding opportunities within the regular academic content of the course where topics of mental health, wellness and student well-being can be highlighted, linked to course content and also considered from a personal perspective. This can be done through in-class discussions, reflective writing pieces, and guest speakers who can connect with students' concerns and lived experiences.

How do I decide on the topic I will infuse into the curriculum of my course?

The exact topic(s) and form of curriculum infusion in a given Engelhard course will depend on the needs of that particular course and its students. For example, if your course involves teaching statistical models, you may decide to tailor a data set involved in an analysis to address a specific wellness issue. Or if you teach a literature course, you may decide to link concepts or characters from reading assignments to real-life wellness issues. The connection between your course material and the wellness issue you choose to address should be creative and unique, but it should also be tangible. The project team at CNDLS is also always available and willing to work with you to develop your ideas for curriculum infusion in your course.

What would curriculum infusion look like in my course?

In general, you should include:

  1. Targeted readings or assignments that open up the connection between the academic content and wellness topic(s);
  2. In-class opportunities to learn more about the topic and to make personal connections through a guest presentation and class discussion; and
  3. A reflective writing assignment (which can be required but ungraded) based on the infusion topic.

As an Engelhard Faculty Fellow, what will I be expected to do?

As an Engelhard Faculty Fellow, you will be expected to:

  1. Identify a connection between one or more theoretical concepts in your course and issues of mental health or well-being that affect the lives of your students;
  2. Develop a wellness module (a minimum of one week or 3 hours in length) around the identified wellness issue that includes the three above-mentioned components;
  3. Attend an orientation meeting and a Safety Net Training with project team members and other participating faculty; and
  4. Contribute to project-wide assessment activities using the Georgetown project team's assessment instruments.

What is expected of me when it comes to assessment of the Engelhard Project?

The minimum expectations for your involvement in Engelhard project assessment are:

  1. Collecting and sharing copies of anonymous student written reflections with the Engelhard team and other faculty members;
  2. Asking your students to participate in an online survey related to the Engelhard project;
  3. Attendance at a faculty group reflection meeting at the end of the semester to provide feedback on the experience; and
  4. A one-page faculty reflection on your students' work during the semester and the experience of participating in this project (including any personal or professional changes due to this experience).

How do I apply to participate in the Engelhard Project?

To apply to participate as an Engelhard Faculty Fellow, please submit your course syllabus, including a description of your planned Engelhard component (with topic, reading assignments, guest speaker, dates of guest speaker presentation(s), and date of writing reflection assignment) to Joselyn Schultz Lewis at CNDLS.