Berea College earns 2026 Carnegie community engagement classification

Berea College has once again been selected for the 2026 Carnegie Elective Classification for Community Engagement, a prestigious national designation recognizing the College’s sustained excellence in community partnerships, public scholarship and regional impact.

Berea is one of just 237 institutions nationwide to receive this classification, joining a select group of colleges and universities that demonstrate deep, integrated commitments to community engagement as central to their mission.

The Carnegie Community Engagement Classification — awarded jointly by the American Council on Education and the Carnegie Foundation for the Advancement of Teaching — honors institutions where community engagement is embedded across leadership, curriculum, faculty research, student learning and long-term partnerships. Rather than a single program or initiative, the designation reflects a college-wide ethos of reciprocal, mutually beneficial collaboration with communities.

“At Berea, community engagement is not an add-on — it is core to who we are,” said Dr. Cheryl L. Nixon, president of Berea College. “From faculty scholarship and student learning to outreach programs across Appalachia, this recognition reflects a shared commitment across the institution to serve, learn with and be accountable to our communities.”

A key contributor to Berea College’s community impact is the Center for Excellence in Learning Through Service (CELTS), which coordinates service-learning and community service through team-based student leadership development and sustained partnerships with schools, nonprofits and community organizations.

Through CELTS, students connect academic coursework with community-based challenges — mentoring youth, tutoring in local schools and libraries, supporting older adults, strengthening neighborhoods and contributing to affordable housing efforts across Madison County and the Appalachian region.

“CELTS exemplifies Berea’s long-standing belief that learning and service go hand in hand,” Nixon said. “Our students gain meaningful experience while our community gains dedicated partners committed to shared goals.”

Examples of CELTS “service in action” programs include: 

• Volunteer programs – student-led teams in collaboration with local organizations
• Bonner Scholars – a four-year “learning through service” scholarship program for students committed to integrating community engagement with their college experience
• Service-Learning Courses and an Academic Minor in Community and Civic Engagement – guides students to explore how their academic major approaches public problem-solving and community-focused careers

While CELTS serves as a hub for student-engaged learning, the Carnegie Classification also recognizes the breadth and depth of Berea College’s institution-wide engagement, including:

• Faculty scholarship and research grounded in community-based inquiry and public impact
• Presidential and institutional leadership prioritizing long-term, reciprocal partnerships
• Regional outreach initiatives such as Grow Appalachia, Brushy Fork Institute and the Appalachian Fund, which support economic development, food security, leadership training and community resilience throughout Appalachia
• Academic programs that integrate service, labor, research and experiential learning in collaboration with community partners

Together, these efforts reflect a comprehensive approach to engagement — one that values shared knowledge creation, sustained relationships and measurable community benefit.

The Carnegie Community Engagement Classification affirms Berea College’s role as a civic anchor institution, committed to partnership rather than prescription. Through this work, Berea students, faculty and staff collaborate with communities to:

• Expand educational access and tutoring support
• Strengthen nonprofit and civic capacity
• Foster intergenerational connection and well-being
• Support economic, social and community development across the region

To explore partnership opportunities or learn more about CELTS programs, contact the CELTS office at 859-985-3935 or visit berea.edu/centers/center-for-excellence-in-learning-through-service.