A bespoke professional learning experience designed for YOU


This unique, personalized professional development opportunity supports your growth as a leader in learning and service. Focused content builds purposefully on your existing knowledge while offering challenges that move you forward to your specific aims. Upon completion of approximately 100 hours, you receive a Service Learning and Community Engagement Specialist Certificate

This certificate program has been developed and is facilitated by international educators and consultants Cathryn Berger Kaye, LeeAnne Lavender, and Shei Ascencio.

The Certification Program combines: 

  • Tailored coaching
  • Monthly cohort calls
  • An online community for ongoing networking and collaboration
  • Exploration of case studies
  • Curriculum design of specific units and learning experiences
  • Creation and facilitation of PD/PL experiences for colleagues (in-person or virtual)
  • 6 hands-on and valuable courses (3 core courses plus 3 pathway courses of your choice)

Core Courses include:

  • Getting Started: Service Learning and Community Engagement Foundations
  • Reciprocal Community Partnerships
  • Dynamic Curriculum Design for Service Learning

Optional Course Pathways include: 

  • Becoming a Digital Storyteller: Advocacy & Citizen Journalism
  • Neuroscience and Service, Part I and/or Part II
  • Rethinking Service Learning and Global Citizenship with a Critical Lens
  • Creating a Culture of Service
  • Engaging Teaching Strategies
  • Learning with Purpose: Authentic Global Citizenship and Community Engagement

Registration is ongoing.


If you are an advanced service learning educator, we customize the core requirements for this certification with your experiences in mind. For instance, if you have already participated in a two-day service learning institute with Cathy, LeeAnne, or Shei, you can substitute additional courses for the “Getting Started: Service Learning and Community Engagement Foundations” course.

If you are a service learning coordinator or leader, this certification program provides you with an unparalleled depth of experience and knowledge that you can immediately translate into what you do every day.


This Service Learning and Community Engagement Certification Program is designed for:

  • Beginning service learning educators who want a deep dive well beyond the basics
  • Experienced service learning classroom educators
  • Global citizenship, service learning, community engagement, and PYP/MYP/DP/CAS coordinators
  • Middle leaders
  • Teaching and Learning leaders
  • Administrators who want to align school mission and vision with service learning, community engagement, and active global citizenship

Join us! If you have any questions about becoming a Service Learning and Community Engagement Specialist, please click the "book an exploratory call with us" button below. Let's chat via email or video call. We would be thrilled to collaborate with you and support your professional learning through our Certification Program this year. 

We welcome individuals as well as school cohorts. Enrolling a group from your school? Contact us for special pricing and program offerings. Email info@cbkassociates.com

Our Partner Schools


Individual educators and teams from these excellent schools have participated in our Service Learning and Community Engagement Specialist Program. The impact of the program on each participant's practice and program has been exceptional, as you can see from Mel's video and the additional stories below.


How this program impacted Mel Pubil, Service Learning Coordinator at ACS-Abu Dhabi

Mel is a graduate of our Service Learning and Community Engagement Specialist Certification Program, and her practice and program at the American Community School of Abu Dhabi have been deeply shaped by her takeaways from the courses, coaching, and learning in this deep dive experience.

Transforming MYP and DP Visual Art Curriculum

Sidd Bose from the American International School of Guangzhou has used resources, ideas, and frameworks from the Service Learning and Community Engagement Specialist Program to redesign his visual art curriculum with a community engagement foundation.

Business Computing Unit & Assessment Becomes Rooted in MISO Interviews and Community Connections

Tina Ngô is a teacher and service learning leader at the American School in Taichung (Taiwan), and her participation in the Specialist Program has impacted all aspects of her curriculum design.

Language Arts Unit Becomes Anchored in Community Engagement

Cassie Eagen and Burke Reed, two educators at the American International School of Guangzhou who are graduates of the Specialist Program, now regularly embed service learning and community engagement strategies in their units and assessments.

Choose a Pricing Option