Center for Community Engagement and Experiential Learning
Connecting Campus and Community
GRAND OPENING for the Center for Community Engagement & Experiential Learning
Wednesday, Sept. 23, 2026 | 5:00-7:00 p.m.
SVSU Gilbertson North, GN 103
We’re excited to welcome you to our grand opening! Enjoy refreshments, explore the space, and learn more about what we have to offer.
No RSVP needed, just stop by!
RIBBON CUTTING for the Fitness Court®
Wednesday, Sept. 23, 2026 | 4:30-5:00 p.m.
Outdoor Fitness Court®, west side of Bachand Hall
Join us as we celebrate the opening of SVSU’s new Fitness Court®, created in partnership with Priority Health and National Fitness Campaign.
The free outdoor fitness space gives students, employees and community members a new way to get active on campus, with seven workout zones designed for a full-body workout.
Welcome to Community Engagement at SVSU
Welcome to Community Engagement at Saginaw Valley State University, where we believe strong communities are built through meaningful partnerships. SVSU is committed to connecting the knowledge, talents, and resources of our students, faculty, and staff with the needs, ideas, and opportunities of our community partners. Whether you are a nonprofit organization, business, school, government agency, or community group, we invite you to connect with us, share your ideas, and explore ways we can work together. Our goal is to make SVSU an accessible and responsive partner while creating opportunities that strengthen our communities, enhance student learning, and produce lasting impact.
Community Engagement
The university recognizes community engagement as “the collaborative partnership between universities and communities to enhance student learning, innovative teaching, scholarship, and outreach. It involves addressing local and global needs through projects that promote civic responsibility and foster personal and social skill development. Community engagement strengthens connections between academic institutions and the broader community, creating mutually beneficial opportunities for education and service.”
Experiential Learning
Experiential learning, based on David Kolb’s model, is a process in which individuals develop knowledge and skills through experience, reflection, conceptual understanding, and application. Learning occurs as students engage in a concrete experience, reflect on that experience, connect it to broader concepts or theories, and then apply what they have learned in new situations.
Vision
A nationally recognized center advancing mutually beneficial community engagement, experiential learning and collaborative partnerships that transform student learning, strengthen communities and elevate SVSU’s regional leadership.
SVSU Earns National Recognition for Civic Engagement
Saginaw Valley State University is honored to be recognized by Insight Into Academia Magazine with a special award for civic engagement and community service. The application process was led by Dawn Hinton, and the award highlights the impactful work of Kevin Lorentz and the Cardinal Votes initiative. We are proud of Kevin and the entire SVSU community for their commitment to civic engagement and meaningful community impact.
SVSU has the 2026 Community Engagement Classification by the Carnegie Foundation for Advancement of Teaching
SVSU also has the distinct honor of receiving the 2026 Community Engagement Classification by the Carnegie Foundation for Advancement of Teaching. SVSU has provided evidence that community engagement aligns to our mission and is part of our campus culture. This unique distinction is held by less than 10% of colleges and universities nationwide, and by eight of the 15 public universities in Michigan.
CONTACT US.
Center for Community Engagement and Experiential Learning (CCEEL)
GN 103
communityengagement@svsu.edu