Community learning is founded on the principal that all knowledge is fundamentally community knowledge.  Knowledge is communal at its creation, in the collaborations of scholars, and is communal in its use, informing and improving life in communities.  Sharing the processes of creating and using knowledge never diminishes it, neither in quantity nor value; in fact, the scope, depth, accuracy, and clarity of knowledge increase as the range of sharing increases.

It is the mission of the Community Learning Initiative (CLI), now housed in the newly established Center for Urban and Global Studies (CUGS) at Trinity College, to continue to find ways to share knowledge, developing academic collaborations among students, faculty, and community partners outside of the College. The richness of Hartford’s ethnic and neighborhood diversity offers opportunities to develop learning and outreach projects that not only benefit students and faculty in the classroom but also carry policy or problem-solving implications for both Hartford and in cities around the world.  By keeping Trinity’s urban programs firmly grounded in Hartford’s communities and neighborhoods, CLI plays a critical role in facilitating CUGS’ mission in linking and integrating Trinity’s Hartford-based and global learning programs.

About the Associate Director Elly Jacobson