Community-based education is an educational approach in which structured learning activities are intentionally situated within, and developed in collaboration with, community settings and organizations, rather than being confined to institutional environments alone [1][2][3][4]. It refers to programs where learners engage in planned educational experiences—such as service, projects, clinical or field placements, and participatory research—within communities, so that local contexts, resources, and stakeholders form an integral part of the curriculum and instructional design [1][2]. Community-based education is characterized by sustained, curricular integration of community sites as learning environments, with defined educational objectives, supervision, and assessment that link community experiences to disciplinary knowledge and professional or civic competencies [2][3]. Within professional and general education, community-based education denotes a specific orientation in which the community is treated as a formal locus of teaching and learning, developed through partnerships with community members and institutions, and distinguished from occasional outreach or volunteer activities that are not embedded in educational programs [1][2][3][4].
Education and Professional Development • Education • Social Sciences • Social Sciences