From Classroom to Canopy: Co-creating a Forest Recreation Community Engaged Learning Model to Cultivate Student Leadership and Connect Research and Education

This research note discusses a collaborative scholarship model integrating funded research with Community Engaged Learning (CEL) between undergraduate courses at Michigan State University and Kansas State University. Cross-institutional student groups comparatively assessed national forest management issues in Southern California with those across the Midwest. Guided by CEL principles, students interacted virtually with Forest Service managers, engaged in experiential learning, and practiced leadership. This model bridged research and education and fostered professional skills and community building across institutions. Outcomes suggest that this model is adaptable for other courses. Key student outcomes include cognitive (systems thinking, forest management), affective (empathy, civic identities), and professional (communication, leadership, resilience) aspects. Key teaching outcomes include the collaborative model’s replicability and adaptability, careful strategic planning across communities and throughout the experience, successful student preparation and support on process and product, utility of student reflections for student and instructor growth, and cross-course enrichment deepening meaningful pedagogy.