It’s a good idea to help the local community by sharing something from our cultures and support each other as well. It really makes a big difference for all.

An anonymous student comment, spring 2020

Reflecting on my years of teaching, one of my most gratifying and powerful memories as an educator deals with developing a sense of community and belonging in my students. More generally, higher education instructors have come to understand the value of community building and creating a sense of belonging in various areas of our lives and for different populations in diverse teaching contexts (Hoffman et al., 2002; Streyhorn, 2019). I believe that in teaching, these two concepts—community building and belonging—are of particular importance. We can also relate these two concepts to various Habits of Mind that we want our students to develop while in college. Many of these Habits of Mind focus on becoming good thinkers and communicators and on gaining skills in developing meaningful relationships. Through service learning and engaging our students in helping and learning from local communities, we can facilitate their development of Habits of Mind as well as promote their sense of belonging and civic responsibility.