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Students interested in a Praxis Independent Study course should be sophomores or above and in good academic standing. There are no specific prerequisites. (Students are not required to complete a Praxis I or Praxis II course beforehand.) Each student may take up to two Praxis Independent Study courses during their time at the College.

Start by visiting the Praxis website and Praxis Blog. There, you can explore past Praxis Independent Study courses, which may help you begin thinking about your academic and community engagement interests. Consider attending a Praxis Info Session, which is typically offered during pre-registration. Next, schedule a one-on-one appointment with Praxis staff to discuss your interests and goals.

Come to your Praxis consultation appointment with an initial idea of your academic focus and learning objectives. Praxis staff will help you refine your goals and explore how community-engaged learning (CEL) can support your academic inquiry.

Praxis Independent Study credit is granted through an academic department, so consider which department aligns best with your topic. You must also identify a Faculty Advisor who will mentor you throughout the course.

You will need to secure a CEL site. If you already have a specific organization in mind, contact them to discuss your goals. If not, Praxis staff and faculty can help you identify potential CEL sites and contacts.

Using this information, you will submit a Praxis III Proposal. Your Academic Dean and the Praxis Program staff must approve your proposal. Once approved, you will complete a Praxis Learning Plan, outlining your academic goals and CEL placement details. This plan must be signed by your Faculty Advisor, your Praxis Site Supervisor, and the Praxis Program staff before you begin the work with the community partner.

After your Learning Plan is fully approved, the Praxis staff will notify the Registrar’s Office. The Registrar will then create a course registration number. If your Praxis Independent Study course does not appear on your schedule or transcript, contact the Registrar’s Office.

Yes. Praxis students are reimbursed 100% for public transportation expenses related to their course. Information about travel reimbursement and expense forms is available on the Praxis and Civic Engagement websites.

Due to the individualized nature of each Praxis Independent Study course, there is no master list of CEL site opportunities. The Praxis Blog can serve as a good starting point. Praxis staff, faculty, and Academic Deans are also excellent resources for site suggestions.

Internships typically provide an opportunity to gain applied experience in a workplace setting, often without academic credit. Praxis Independent Study courses also involve community-based work, but they are structured around academic inquiry and reflection.

Praxis students develop specific learning objectives connected to an academic discipline and engage with community partners in ways that advance both academic and civic goals. Students receive academic credit for their Praxis Independent Study and work closely with a Faculty Advisor to integrate their CEL experience with academic learning.

Join the friends_of_praxis@brynmawr.edu listserv to connect with faculty and staff members at Bryn Mawr who share an interest in community-based and experiential learning and to receive Praxis-related resources and program updates.

Send an email to friends_of_praxis@brynmawr.edu or lraddatz@brynmawr.edu to subscribe.

Course Design

The College is a member of  (the Philadelphia Higher Education Network of Neighborhood Development) and . Both of these organizations have syllabi directories and will provide technical assistance to faculty from member institutions.

Liv Raddatz and Tiffany Stahl will consult with faculty who want to incorporate a community-based learning component into an existing or new course. 

Course development grants have been available through Civic Engagement in the past, through outside grants that our office has obtained. Currently, course development funding is not available from our office but may be available through the Provost’s Office.

Praxis and Civic Engagement have established many connections with community based organizations in the region and will share this network with faculty who are looking for ways of building a community-based learning component into a course.

Some of the most helpful advice about Praxis course design comes from other faculty who have already taught Praxis courses. We are in touch with many BMC and HC faculty who are teaching community-based learning courses in a variety of disciplines and would be glad to make suggestions about whom to contact. Praxis Coordinators are happy to work with faculty on their courses at any stage of development.

Questions? Contact Liv Raddatz at lraddatz@brynmawr.edu or Tiffany Stahl at tstahl@brynmawr.edu.

Praxis staff members Liv Raddatz and Tiffany Stahl can work with faculty teaching Praxis courses.

Each faculty-Praxis Coordinator team functions differently, depending on the course's needs, the professor's desired level of Praxis Coordinator involvement, and the Praxis Coordinator's background and availability.

Typically, the Praxis Coordinator develops and coordinates student placements for the course. This includes identifying appropriate placements for the course, matching students with field sites, maintaining regular communication with the field supervisors (including at least one on-site visit during the semester), troubleshooting as needed, and administering evaluations of the field placement experience.

The Praxis Coordinator is also available to assist with designing the Fieldwork Agreement form and facilitate an in-class orientation to the Fieldwork session and in-class reflection and discussion. Typically, the Praxis Coordinator attends class at least once a week to become familiar with the course material and get to know the students.

The Praxis Coordinator may also be available to bring in speakers or visitors from the community organization with which the course is partnered. Funding for speaker honoraria is also available from the Praxis budget.

Students in Praxis courses receive reimbursement for their transportation expenses.

In some cases, Praxis can also fund transportation for group field trips.

Groups of students in Praxis courses can travel in BMC vans if the group has a certified BMC van driver. Van reservations and the costs associated with this travel are covered by Civic Engagement.