EDC 260: Career Development

Reflection on Integrating Community Engagement into Academic Career: 3-stage Action Plan

As I begin integrating Community-Engaged Learning (CEL) into my teaching, I recognize the significance of building reciprocal partnerships grounded in trust, shared values, and mutual benefit. My disciplinary grounding in mental health and school counseling offers a lens through which I hope to connect classroom learning with real-world applications. Given this is my first foray into CEL, my priority in this initial stage is to engage in intentional research—to learn about existing community partners, understand their missions and areas of impact, and consider alignment with both course content and student career development. This stage lays the foundation for authentic, values-driven collaboration that benefits students and communities alike.

In EDC 260: Career Development, I plan to address the persistent equity gaps in access to culturally responsive and career-relevant services for historically underserved youth. Many K–12 students, particularly those from BIPOC, immigrant, and low-income communities, lack exposure to college and career pathways that affirm their identities and life experiences. At the same time, community-based organizations working to support youth career readiness often operate with limited staffing and capacity. I hope to partner with local educational nonprofits, youth mentorship programs, and organizations focused on mental health promotion or college and career readiness. These partnerships would provide students in EDC 260 with opportunities to contribute to real-world career development programming while learning from practitioners who are embedded in community spaces.

Over the next three semesters, I aim to (1) establish reciprocal partnerships with 1–2 community-based organizations that support youth career development; (2) redesign EDC 260 to include a service-learning component that aligns student learning outcomes with partner needs; and (3) support students in developing culturally responsive, career-focused resources or workshops that can be implemented in collaboration with the partner organizations. o achieve these goals, I will first consult with the Community Engagement Center and meet with Noel Mora to identify relevant partners. I will then research each organization’s mission, programming, and potential areas of collaboration, followed by informal outreach to begin building relationships. Once a partnership is identified, I will co-develop CEL activities that align with the partner’s work and redesign the course syllabus accordingly, integrating opportunities for critical reflection and community-informed practice.

Through this effort, I anticipate students will gain applied experience in community-based career development, deepen their cultural competence, and enhance their professional identity as future counselors or educators. Community partners will benefit from increased capacity, youth-focused deliverables, and a collaborative relationship with the university. I also expect this work to lay the groundwork for a sustained CEL model within EDC 260 that can evolve over time with partner input. By embedding career development activities within a broader context of social justice and community well-being, this course will promote meaningful engagement that is both educationally rigorous and socially impactful.

3 Examples of My Action Plan
Example 1	Example 2	Example 3
3-Stage Action Plan Three-stage plan to build partnerships, redesign EDC 260, and implement community-engaged learning.	Link to Document: New assignment prompts students to co-create career development activities with a community partner.	Learning from the spectrum of community engagement and the CSU CEL Taxonomy strengthened my approach to civic goals, reciprocity, and reflection in redesigning EDC 260.

Moving Forward

Participation in this Faculty Learning Community (FLC) has provided me with foundational knowledge and practical strategies for integrating community-engaged learning (CEL) into my teaching, especially within the context of EDC 260: Career Development. Moving forward, I plan to apply these learnings to design course components that not only promote students' understanding of career theory and practice, but also connect that learning to real-world applications that address equity and access in local communities. One immediate application will be the development of partnerships with organizations that support youth career readiness, particularly those serving underrepresented populations. The resources shared through the FLC, such as the CSU CEL Taxonomy, examples of reflective assignments, and partnership development guidelines, will guide me in creating sustainable, reciprocal collaborations and student-centered learning experiences.

Faculty Biography

Headshot

Dr. Maiko Xiong is an Assistant Professor in the Counselor Education program and draws on her experience as a K–12 school counselor to inform her work. Her scholarship focuses on the intersections of culture, identity, and mental health in school settings, with an emphasis on how counselors can disrupt systemic barriers and foster equitable educational outcomes for students from diverse backgrounds. She is particularly interested in the transformative potential of school counseling to promote both student well-being and systemic change.

This work was supported by the Community Engagement Center, the Career Center, and the Anchor/Community-Engaged University Collaborative

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