Chapter 2: Community Centers and Experiential Learning Available to Purchase

Once constructed to support impoverished people during the Industrial Era, community centers have blossomed to vary in the services they provide. Many community centers scaffold essential services to fulfill a need that federal and state services do not, such as citizenship classes, English language learning, and after-school care. Visiting a community center for someone who has never been can be eye-opening and help them realize the types of supports community centers provide for many individuals, but also potentially inspire them to help their community as well. This chapter concludes with a reflection on the impact of experiential learning from both a student and educator’s perspective.