Frequently Asked Questions
What is the CoRAL Network?
Who participates in the CoRAL Network?
How does CoRAL help intiate university-community partnerships?
What is Community-based Learning and Research (CBLR)?
Why create a network that promotes CBLR?
What other CBLR networks exist?
What is "social justice" or "social change"?
How can I get involved?
How can I apply to CoRAL's fellowship programs?
How can I volunteer at CoRAL?
How can I get directions to CoRAL's main office?
How can I make a tax-deductible contribution to CoRAL?
Does CoRAL work internationally?
What is the CoRAL Network?
The Community Research And Learning (CoRAL) Network is composed of higher education institutions and numerous community-based organizations in the greater Washington DC region. CoRAL links community organizational needs with research interests to facilitate learning opportunities, cultivate faculty incentives, supervise student placements, promote CBLR curriculum development, and document the successes of community-based research in support of CBO's social change missions.
Who participates in the CoRAL Network?
Seven universities currently participate in the CoRAL Network: American University, Catholic University of America, George Washington University, Georgetown University, Trinity University, University of the District of Columbia, and the University of Maryland-College Park. To view listings of community-based organizations within our network by their respective University partner, check out our network map.
How does CoRAL help initiate university-community partnerships?
CoRAL fosters university-community partnerships by using information technologies, communication strategies, and personal networking. Our online ProjectFinder allows faculty and student researchers to create profiles of their research interests while community-based organizations can post a profile of their research needs. Beyond this online tool, we also promote service-learning through workshops, networking events, and our Annual Conference on Community Based Research and Social Change in the National Capital Region. Our staff is well-connected with contacts in the community as well as in the universities and we often incorporate personal networking into the mix to maximize our efforts in making partnerships happen. However, we also take pride in that the CoRAL Network is very self-sufficient and we encourage everyone who is interested in forming a partnership to go out there and engage themselves in the community. We are here to help you along the way.
What is Community-based Learning and Research (CBLR)?
Scholarly definitions vary but it is recognized that CBLR is a collaborative endeavor that: involves all parties in all aspects of the research or service-learning component; recognizes community as a unit of identity; builds on community's strengths; collaborative at all stages; service or research contains a reflective component for the student; and promotes co-learning, empowering, and reciprocal process. When applied to a curriculum, it is a pedagogy that bridges what is learned in the classroom to what is learned from engaging in the community and allows students to reflect on their experience.
Why create a network that promotes CBLR?
We believe it is important to actively recognize the central role that universities play in society by initiating innovative ways to improve the quality of life in the communities where they are located. For higher education institutions, community-based learning and research is a means of achieving the goal of preparing students for the intellectual dimensions of contemporary work and civic life through field experience and community engagement. For the community-based organizations, CBLR collaborations provide resources that make a meaningful impact achieving their social justice missions.
What other CBLR networks exist?
Click here to view a list of other networks throughout the country that are dedicated to promoting service-learning and community-based research initiatives.
What is "social justice" or "social change"?
Scholarly definitions vary, but generally it is the belief in an equitable, compassionate world where difference is understood and valued, and where human dignity, the Earth, our ancestors and future generations are respected. This is by no means meant as a full definition and provided only to help you understand our mission.
How can I get involved?
The possibilities are endless. Subscribe to our weekly Newsbits to get up-to-date news and information about upcoming events and opportunities. Visit the respective section of our website that pertains to your interests (student engagement, faculty development, community partnering) to learn more about how you can become more engaged in our community.
How can I apply to CoRAL's fellowship programs?
More information about the Faculty Fellows Learning Circle, the Student Engagement and Leadership Fellowship, and the Partners in Urban Research programs is available in their respective sections of our website. For further information, contact us at info@coralnetwork.org.
How can I volunteer at CoRAL?
We encourage you to create a profile for yourself in our ProjectFinder database and to contact us by phone if you are looking for immediate volunteer opportunities. Depending on your skillset and interests, we may be able to help you find a placement in our network within the greater Washington DC area. If you're outside the local area but still want to volunteer, contact us about possibilities for "telecommuting" and helping out in areas such as accounting and bookkeeping, literature reviews, and funding development.
How can I get directions to CoRAL's main office?
You may download driving directions and public transportation options to get to our main offices by clicking here.
How can I make a tax-deductible contribution to the CoRAL Network?
The CoRAL Network is a 501(c)3 non-profit entity and we welcome your generosity at any level. Monetary contributions may be allocated towards funding community projects, student fellowships, and our annual conference (which is free for students, open to the public, and has a very minimal general registration fee--in 2005, it was $25). We also welcome donations of office supplies, equipment, and other items. All donations are tax-deductible. Please contact us at info@coralnetwork.org if you would like to contribute.
Does CoRAL work internationally?
With seven institutions of higher education that are so centrally located, at this time the CoRAL Network focuses on promoting our mission in the greater metropolitan Washington DC area. However, there are endless of ways that our local work does intersect within the international spectrum of community engagement.
