Current CELR courses

What is a Community-Engaged Learning and Research (CELR) Course?

CELR courses are hands-on, reflective, skill-building opportunities for students to engage with campus and community projects. Through a mutually beneficial exchange with community partners, students apply theory to practice, develop professional experience, and contribute to the public good.

Autumn 2025

Last updated: 07/01/2025. This course list is subject to changes and additions. 

*Community Engaged Learning and Research is partnering with other departments on campus to roll out the UW Bothell E-Designation to make it easier for students to find community engaged courses while registering for classes. Through this transition as more faculty get onboarded, courses listed below will all be confirmed to be working with community partners but may not be tagged as E in the time schedule. 

First Year Pre Major Programs

• (PB) BCORE 104 A: Time Traveling Through Experiential Learning – Kristin Gustafson –   This course explores stories told about the world and us. Students become time travelers in this course as we explore the ways people have documented and recorded. We will examine history and the making of history. We’ll use the concept of an “archive” to explore.  (A&H) Partner(s): UW Bothell Office of Student Academic Success , UW Bothell/Cascadia Libraries , UW Bothell Orientation and Transition Programs 

• (PB/PL) BCORE 104 F/ 107 O: Managing Mental Health in the Classroom and Beyond – Laura Umetsu -This course will explore resources and practical coping skills through art, writing, and other creative mediums to manage anxiety. Guest speakers may include local therapists to provide the framework for workshops/weekly journaling writing exercises based on cognitive behavioral therapy techniques. There will be a civic engagement portion with a local nonprofit to provide mental health education and support to others in the UWB community. This course involves getting certified in mental health first aid (made possible through the King County MIDD funds and a collaboration with Valley Cities Medical’s educational program) to learn techniques on how to have an effective discussion with someone who may be experiencing a mental health and/or substance addiction challenge. Attendance at an all-day virtual Saturday session on October 5th is mandatory to complete the mental health first aid portion of the course, with pre-work and registration with Valley Cities to be done the first week of class. Partner(s): National Alliance on Mental Illness (NAMI) 

• (PB/PL) BCORE 104 G / 107 P: Disability Representation in Society – Maureen West – This course introduces Critical Disability Studies (CDS), a multidisciplinary field that examines and critiques societal understandings of disability. Students will learn a critical framework to understand the disadvantages faced by people with disabilities and explore how disability activists and scholars have shifted perspectives toward viewing disability as a form of human diversity and a source of community. The course includes a Community Engagement component, partnering with the Alyssa Burnett Adult Life Center (ABALC) in Bothell, where students will engage onsite 1 or 2 times with individuals on the autism spectrum and with intellectual developmental disabilities. (A&H) Partner(s): Alyssa Burnett Adult Life Center 

• (PB) BCORE 104 C/110 B: Storytelling Through Ecology – Cynthia Chang – Understanding the ecological interactions that sustain our natural world is critical in a time of unprecedented global change driven by humans. In learning how ecosystems function, we can better appreciate, protect, and restore them. Children’s literature and storytelling provide a unique way for us to cultivate appreciation and understanding of the natural world among children and adults alike.   (A&H) Partner(s): Heartwood Nature Programs, UW Bothell Environmental Education Research Center at St. Edwards Park EERC 

Business

• (PB) BUS 307 A: Business Writing – Laura Umetsu– Provides theoretical and practical approaches to being a better ethical writer to prepare students to be more successful in business or other organizations. Partner(s): NAMI Seattle, NAMI Eastside 

• (PB) BUS 441 A : Business Project Management – Nick Cuhaciyan – Skills that prepare students for rules as business project leaders and team members. Topics include project selection, risk, definition, stakeholder analysis, communication plans, scheduling, software, resource allocation, monitoring, and post-project assessment. Emphasis on critical thinking and analysis. Partner(s): TBD 

• (PB) B BUS 491 A: Business Consulting – Nick Cuhaciyan – applies principles and methods of consulting to organizations. Teams work as consultants for local businesses, applying management theory and concepts to develop strategic and tactical solutions to client-driven problems involving multiple functions. Partner(s): TBD 

Education

• (PL) BEDUC 220 A : Education and Society – Gerard Holzman – Examines educational problems, policy, and practice from an interdisciplinary perspective. Explores the tensions between education values and goals throughout the history of public schooling in the United States and develops critical perspectives through which to evaluate current proposals for school reform. (Ssc) Partner(s): House of Wisdom, North Creek High School, Kenmore Middle School 

• (PL) BEDUC 495 A : Applied Experience – Gerard Holzman – The Applied Experience is designed to integrate the knowledge and skills cultivated in Educational Studies coursework, an experience in an educational setting, and collaborative self-reflection on the challenges and opportunities of education in diverse settings.  Partner(s): Edmonds School District, Communities of Rooted Brilliance, Highline Big Picture School, Inglemoor High School, UW Bothell Sustainability, Washington Alliance for Better Schools. 

• (PL) BEDUC 541 A: Second Language Acquisition – Yue Bian – focuses on theories in second language acquisition, bilingual education, and the structure of English. Topics include research, practice, and connections between language, literacy, cultural tradition, identity, and education in preparation for teaching ELL’s in general education of classes specifically for ELL’s. Partner(s) Lake Washington School District, North Creek High School, Alyssa Burnett Adult Life Center 

Interdisciplinary Arts & Sciences

• (PB/PL) BES 492 A: Capstone Research In Environmental Science – Amy Lambert –The first course of a two-quarter capstone sequence. Students plan and develop a detailed proposal for their capstone environmental science project. Partner(s): TBD 

• (PB) BIS 175: Intro to American Government – Jason Frederick Lambacher – Examines the major institutions and processes of American government, including civil liberties and rights, federalism, Congress, the presidency, the judiciary, executive branch, political parties and elections, interest groups, and civic engagement. Partner(s) TBD 

• (PB) BIS 232 Data Visualization A – Baaska Anderson – Introduces descriptive statistics and visual representations of quantitative data. Examines data sets using graphing and statistical software packages. Demonstrates how to present data in ways that are accurate, effective, and visually appealing. Partner(s): Edmonds School District 

• (PL) BIS 495 A – Internship – Alice Pedersen – Students will need to secure an internship before registration for this course. Past CELR students are encouraged to use their previous placements to continue working with community partners for more credit. Students can also browse Connected Huskies Database for internship possibilities with Connected Learning Community Partners. PreReq: BIS 300, Class is for IAS majors only 

Nursing & Health Studies

• (PL) BHS 496 A : Health Studies Fieldwork – Mabel Ezeonwu – Students participate in fieldwork experiences to explore career options and develop skills in population health practice. Students use critical reflection to synthesize knowledge and experiences from fieldwork and program courses to support their professional development. Partner(s): NAMI Eastside, HealthPoint, UW Bothell School of Nursing & Health Studies, Bloodworks Northwest, Providence Regional Medical Center and more. (Minimum 40 hours/quarter)  

• (PB) B HLTH 435 : Foundations And Principles Of Health Education And Communication – Jody O. Early – Introduction to the health education profession, associated competencies, theories and principles of health communication. Covers strategies and design principles for planning culturally tailored health education and communication for a variety of audiences, uses digital technology and social media for health promotion. Includes a service-learning assignment. (Ssc) Partner(s): Mental Health Matters Washington  

Science, Technology, Engineering, Mathematics (STEM)

• (PL) CSS 295 A: K-12 Computing Education – Arkady Retik – Collaboration with community partners to develop computing education opportunities for K-12 students. Curriculum development and basic computing education environments. (DIV & RSN) Partner(s): Kenmore Middle School 

• (PB) BME 315 A: Intro to 3D Modeling – Bill Anderson – Explorers design, representation, and analysis of three-dimensional objects using computational methods and computer-aided design (CAD). Topics include free-hand sketching; optimization of design parameters; documentation and communication of design information using appropriate engineering standards and practices. (A&H) Partner(s): Kenmore Middle School , Lake Washington Institute of Technology,  Advanced Manufacturing Training and Education Center (AMTEC), Everett Community College 

Summer 2025

Last updated: 07/1/2025. This course list is subject to changes and additions.

*Community Engaged Learning and Research is teaming up with the UW Bothell E-Designation to make it easier for students to find community engaged courses. Through this transition as more faculty get onboarded, courses listed below will all be confirmed to be working with community partners but may not be tagged as E in the time schedule.

Nursing & Health Studies

• (PL) BHS 496 A : Fieldwork in Health – Jody O. Early – Students participate in fieldwork experiences to explore career options and develop skills in population health practice. Students use critical reflection to synthesize knowledge and experiences from fieldwork and program courses to support their professional development. Partner(s): NAMI Eastside, HealthPoint, UW Bothell School of Nursing & Health Studies, Providence Regional Medical Center and more. (Minimum 40 hours/quarter)   

Business

(PB) B BUS 441 A : Business Project Management – Nick Cuhaciyan – In-depth coverage of skills that prepare students for rules as business project leaders and team members. Topics include project selection, risk, definition, stakeholder analysis, communication plans, scheduling, software, resource allocation, monitoring, post-project assessment. Emphasis on critical thinking and analysis. Partner(s): Latino Education and Training Institute (LETI), Well Being Community Center 

Courses by year