Abstract
This manuscript presents a case study exploring the use of community engaged learning (CEL) to teach corporate social responsibility (CSR) in an upper-level sport management course. The purpose of this study is to examine how participation in a semester long community engaged learning experience influences student understanding of corporate social responsibility, civic identity, and theory-to-practice application. Students partnered with a local nonprofit affiliated with a professional sport organization to design and execute a donor engagement event addressing youth needs in the community. Guided by experiential learning theory, the course emphasized out-of-classroom learning, industry mentorship, and reflective practice. A longitudinal qualitative design assessed student learning across three points in the semester. Findings suggest CEL enhanced students’ understanding of CSR, strengthened their ability to connect theory to practice, and deepened their professional and civic identities. Persistent gaps in students’ knowledge of impact evaluation, however, point to areas for pedagogical refinement. The manuscript includes practical teaching notes outlining assignments, reflection strategies, and workshop-based faculty support. Results affirm the value of CEL in preparing sport management students to lead responsibly in diverse, real-world contexts.
Creative Commons License
This work is licensed under a Creative Commons Attribution 4.0 International License.
Recommended Citation
Greene, A., Jones, C., & Smith, N. (2026). Beyond the Classroom: Leveraging Community Engaged Learning to Teach Corporate Social Responsibility in Sport Management. The COSMA Journal. Retrieved from https://scholarworks.bgsu.edu/cosma/vol3/iss1/10Included in
Curriculum and Instruction Commons, Educational Assessment, Evaluation, and Research Commons, Scholarship of Teaching and Learning Commons, Sports Management Commons, Sports Studies Commons, University Extension Commons