Using the Authentic Intellectual (AIW) Framework to Connect First Year Students with the Local Blues Society

The purpose of this article is to demonstrate how I used the Authentic Intellectual Work (AIW) pedagogical framework in conjunction with Project-Based Learning (PBL) to develop a campuscommunity partnership while enhancing and promoting the goals of the local blues society. In order to achieve the goals of the AIW framework, I created a major class project which charged the students with writing and editing a book telling stories of members of the local blues society to be available on Amazon.com. The results, or outcomes, of this project were categorized relative to two areas: academic (classroom) and civic (The Blues Society). The narratives and stories in the final version of the book varied significantly, but each, in their own way, contributed to a process where my students were able to think about civic engagement and community partnerships in an advanced and engaging way.