Engaged Learning Initiatives
The Engaged Learning Initiatives (ELI) is a partnership between the Department of Romance Languages and Literatures and the Institute for Social Concerns that connects language study, cultural knowledge, and lived experience. ELI is grounded in the belief that language learning is most meaningful when it takes place in dialogue with real communities and real social contexts, advancing the University of Notre Dame’s mission to educate the whole person and promote the common good.
ELI serves undergraduate students enrolled in Romance Languages and Literatures courses who seek to deepen their academic learning while engaging with communities beyond the university. Through faculty-guided collaborations with local, national, and international community partners, students design and/or carry out semester-long or summer projects that respond to community-identified needs. These projects may take place in South Bend, abroad, or in transnational contexts connected to the languages, histories, and cultures students study.
The purpose of ELI is threefold:
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To strengthen students’ linguistic proficiency and cultural competence by placing language use in authentic, professional, and civic contexts.
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To foster critical reflection, ethical engagement, and reciprocal partnerships, ensuring that learning is grounded in respect, responsibility, and mutual benefit.
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To highlight the broader social relevance of Romance Languages and Literatures by demonstrating how humanistic inquiry, cultural engagement, and critical awareness contribute to more just and inclusive communities.
Why apply?
Applying to an Engaged Learning Initiative project offers students the opportunity to extend their classroom learning into lived experience. Through ELI, students:
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Apply language skills in authentic, real-world contexts
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Deepen cultural understanding through sustained engagement with communities
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Gain experience in collaborative, project-based work guided by faculty mentorship
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Develop critical reflection skills that connect academic learning with ethical responsibility
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Contribute meaningfully to community-identified goals while advancing their own intellectual and personal growth
ELI is ideal for students who want to challenge themselves academically, engage responsibly with communities, and explore how language, culture, and service intersect in meaningful ways at Notre Dame and beyond.
Who should apply?
ELI is open to undergraduate students enrolled in Romance Languages and Literatures courses who are interested in connecting language study with experiential learning and meaningful community engagement. Students from all academic levels and backgrounds are encouraged to apply, particularly those who:
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Are motivated to use language learning beyond the classroom in real-world, community-engaged contexts
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Are curious about cultural difference and committed to learning in solidarity with others
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Are interested in working collaboratively with community partners, faculty, and peers
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Are open to sustained reflection that connects lived experience with course content, theory, and language practice
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Seek to integrate academic inquiry, language use, and social responsibility in ways that contribute to the common good
No prior experience with engaged or community-based learning is required. Successful applicants are those who approach their work with openness, preparation, and a sense of ethical responsibility toward community partners.
ELI welcomes students who see language as a bridge between theory and practice, between cultures, and between academic study and meaningful social engagement.