By Danielle DeRosa, Assistant Professor in Residence, Sport Management and UConn ECE Faculty Coordinator for Educational Leadership and Gemetta Neal Goulet, CREC Greater Academy of the Arts, EDLR 1162 Health & Education in Urban Communities UConn Instructor
At CREC Greater Hartford Arts Academy High School, Gemetta Neal Goulet, fondly known by her students as Mrs. G, has transformed her UConn course offered through Early College Experience course into a pathway to purpose. Beyond the opportunity for students to earn college credits by engaging in college coursework, Mrs. G uses the classroom as a space to bridge academic learning with real-world application. EDLR 1162: Health & Education in Urban Communities provides a meaningful lens for students to examine topics 
like access to healthcare, mental health awareness, nutrition, and community wellness. Instead of learning these concepts in isolation, students are encouraged to think critically about how these topics are experienced within their own lives, neighborhood, and larger society. This relevance increases engagement and gives their learning a deeper sense of value.
A major way that the coursework is brought to life is through the course’s service-learning component, which brings together learning from the course and engages students within their community. Rather than relying solely on traditional instruction, the course encourages students to investigate real problems, collaborate with peers, and create solutions that have tangible outcomes. Incorporating service-learning strengthens the connection between the classroom and the community by engaging students in meaningful experiences that address real community needs. Through collaboration with community partners, students deepen their learning while developing a greater sense of civic responsibility, empathy, and commitment to creating positive social impact.
Since its inception in the 2022-2023 academic year, students enrolled in EDLR 1162 have created projects that touch on mental health, opioid addiction, and obesity. Modeled in a gallery walk format, the 
students create a day of learning for their peers and the larger community. These projects push students to think beyond memorization—they analyze, create, and apply. Elke Hernandez, Instructional Coach, shares, “Mrs. G’s (UConn) ECE Health projects turn real-world health challenges—mental health, opioids, social media, and gambling, to name a few—into student-led action. Students design, plan, and execute everything from events to advertising and media. These projects bring the community together, foster collaboration across subjects, and build transferable skills while making complex health topics engaging, creative, and meaningful.”
Most recently, students who took EDLR 1162 in fall 2025 explored the impacts of youth gambling, with specific focus in better understanding how the negative impacts of youth gambling are amplified when considering racial and socio-economic disparities. Not only did the students create posters to engage in a school-wide presentation for peers, administrators, and district leaders; they also had the opportunity to visit the State Capitol to meet with Representative McCarthy Vahey to share their research and experience in the course. Carter Stevens describes EDLR 1162 as “a class that matters.” Angeliz Rivera shares that EDLR 1162 “was different from my other classes because it focused more on real-world experiences instead of just textbook learning. It is more hands-on, allowing me to apply what I’ve learned in actual urban settings. It also 
emphasizes diversity, culture, and challenges in urban communities, which my other classes don’t focus on as much. Overall, it feels more practical because I’m solving real problems and reflecting on my own experiences.”
Through her innovative teaching, Mrs. G has created an educational experience for her students that allows them to explore issues that directly impact their communities while building the skills they need for life beyond high school. The service-learning component develops essential skills such as communication, teamwork, and time management. Students learn how to divide responsibilities, hold each other accountable, and present their ideas with confidence. These are the same skills they will need in college courses and future careers. Mrs. G shares, “What I appreciate most is watching students take ownership of their learning. When given the space to explore and create, they begin to see themselves as capable of making an impact. They are no longer just completing assignments—they are engaging with content that matters.
