Examples of Good Practice from Miami Dade College

College Center for Community Involvement

Miami Dade College promotes civic responsibility and practical experience through the college-wide Center for Community Involvement. The Center coordinates all kinds of service-learning activities that enable students to work with non-profits agencies and other places in the community needing support. The Center’s mission is to enhance student learning, meet community needs, and foster civic responsibility and a sense of caring for others. It accomplishes these goals by connecting the college with partners across the community. Faculty can call upon the Center to develop a course-specific project, and students can choose to volunteer in areas that interest them. For example, students can tutor children regularly in reading through the America Reads initiative. Through this type of relevant, purposeful civic learning, students grow into better citizens. They also engage with diverse groups and establish unique relationships that strengthen the entire community. The community knows as well that it can approach the Center to find support.

Cultural Heritage Months

Miami Dade College has created a tradition of celebration based on nationally-designated months to honor various cultures and groups. The largest celebrations take place for National Hispanic Heritage Month and National Black History Month, but there are also festivals for women and for Asian-Pacific culture. Typically, students will present free musical and dance performances, and professionals will be invited to share their talents and stories. The broader community also gets involved in performances, forums, film screenings, exhibits, and other events that investigate and celebrate diversity.

Miami Book Fair International

By partnering with a local book store in 1983, Miami Dade College established a cultural phenomenon that has blossomed into the nation’s largest and most respected literary event. The Miami Book Fair International draws hundreds of thousands of people and more than 350 leading authors to Miami. The Fair’s largest event is a weekend street fair that includes a parade for children and an international village. The entire community pulls together for this event, which is sustained by countless volunteers, and it has created a comfortable space for thinkers of all ages to come together in celebration of the written word.

This page is part of a series of Examples of Good Practice.