Editor’s note: This article is part of Teaching the Adult Learner: Practical Strategies for Higher Ed Success, a six-part series exploring how colleges can better support nontraditional students. Drawing on classroom-tested practices with adult learners in Human Services programs, the series offers faculty and administrators concrete strategies to build confidence, foster engagement, and connect coursework to real-world impact. The series publishes weekly on Mondays.
In my Diversity and Inclusion course at the College of Westchester (CW), students often walk in with powerful personal experiences of race, gender, class, and identity. But translating those experiences into academic work–and connecting them to theory–is a challenge.
For adult learners, applied projects are a bridge. They transform abstract conversations about equity into meaningful, real-world action. Instead of passively consuming content, students become investigators, storytellers, and change agents. The course stops being just another requirement and becomes a space where their voices and lived realities matter.
The Cultural Immersion Project: A capstone with impact
One of the most effective tools in our Human Services curriculum at CW is the Cultural Immersion Project Plan. Students select a cultural group or community different from their own and design a plan for meaningful engagement. The assignment requires them to research history and context, reflect on their own biases, and propose strategies for building bridges of understanding.
What makes this project powerful is its balance of rigor and relevance. Students aren’t just writing papers–they’re designing actionable plans that could be used in Human Services settings, community organizations, or even their own workplaces.
For many, it’s the first time they’ve seen how academic study can directly shape their professional practice.
Meeting adult learners where they are
Adult learners bring complex identities into the classroom: parents, caregivers, employees, community leaders. Projects like the Cultural Immersion Plan respect that complexity by giving students flexibility.
Some students dive into topics connected to their jobs, like designing culturally responsive client intake forms. Others choose personal paths, such as exploring traditions of a culture represented by their neighbors or their children’s classmates.
This freedom doesn’t dilute academic rigor; it amplifies it. When learners feel ownership over their projects, they’re more motivated to engage deeply with course materials, theories of diversity, and ethical frameworks.
Applied learning in action
In one recent class, a student who works in elder care designed a project around better serving LGBTQ+ seniors. She researched historical discrimination in healthcare, interviewed local advocates, and proposed staff training sessions for her workplace.
Another student, a father of three, explored the experiences of immigrant families in his school district. His plan involved collaborating with local community liaisons to improve parent-school communication.
These projects didn’t just meet academic requirements; they had ripple effects beyond the classroom. Adult learners began to see themselves not only as students but as practitioners equipped to enact change.
How faculty can support success
For faculty and administrators, the takeaway is clear: Applied projects are not just add-ons–they are essential tools for deep learning and retention. To make them work:
- Scaffold the process. Break projects into stages (topic selection, research plan, draft, final reflection) to reduce overwhelm.
- Provide models. Show examples of strong projects to clarify expectations.
- Connect to theory. Ensure students link their applied work to academic frameworks, not just personal reflection.
- Celebrate relevance. Encourage students to share how their projects tie back to their workplaces, families, and communities.
These strategies help ensure that applied projects don’t become “busy work,” but instead evolve into transformative learning opportunities.
Closing reflection
In Diversity and Inclusion courses, it’s not enough to talk about equity in the abstract. Adult learners want to see how concepts apply to the real world, and they want to use their education to make a difference. Applied projects create that opportunity.
When students leave the classroom with a project that could influence their jobs, communities, or personal lives, they carry the lesson far beyond the final grade.
That’s the real power of applied learning: it validates adult learners’ experiences while equipping them to shape a more inclusive future.
Next week, we’ll continue the series with Part 3: Building Confidence in Struggling Adult Learners Through Structured Supports.
Find Part 1 here.
Timothy Montalvo is a middle school educator and leader passionate about leveraging technology to enhance student learning. He serves as Assistant Principal at Fox Lane Middle School in Westchester, NY, and teaches education courses as an adjunct professor at Iona University and the College of Westchester. Montalvo focuses on preparing students to be informed, active citizens in a digital world and shares insights on Twitter/X @MrMontalvoEDU or on BlueSky @montalvoedu.bsky.social.
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