Take an Engaged Learning course in your home department or through the Philanthropy and Public service program.
For courses that require off-campus experiences, below are some resources regarding logistics and transportation.
Student Transportation
While not all engaged learning courses will require regular off-campus experiences, students who participate in Engaged Learning courses that require service are responsible for their own transportation to and from any off-campus partner organizations or volunteer service sites. Several transportation options exist to support students without a vehicle:
- Waco City Bus: We encourage you to discover and utilize the City of Waco Transit System! Waco operates ten fixed bus routes, nine of which terminate at the Downtown Transit Terminal at 8th & Mary. You can learn more about Waco's bus routes here and view a map of them here. For more information on fares, how to ride the bus, ridership rules, and a live tracker of the bus, click here.
- Route 9 is most convenient for Baylor students, as it stops at two locations next to Baylor's campus: 8th Street & Speight Ave next to Allen Residence Hall, and Dutton Ave & 5th Street next to Martin Residence Hall. It then proceeds to the Downtown Transit Terminal, from which you can transfer to another bus route as needed and continue your trip.
- Biking: If you have a bicycle, many off-campus locations are easily accessible from campus via a bike (or via a combination of biking and taking the bus—Waco city buses have a rack for your bike!). That being said, not all Waco streets are designed to accommodate bicyclists, so please refer to this map from the City of Waco to determine the best streets for your cycling trip. Also, keep in mind that bicycles are required to follow all the rules of the road, just like a car; this includes stopping at stop signs and red lights, yielding to pedestrians in crosswalks, displaying proper illumination, and riding with the traffic flow. And please—always wear your helmet!
- Driving the OEL Vehicle: The Office of Engaged Learning has a vehicle available for students to use to drive to OEL-related experiences and involvements. To express your interest in becoming certified to drive this vehicle to transport yourself to an off-campus experience, please complete this form.
- Walking: Some off-campus locations are within reasonable walking distance of campus! Downtown Waco is only a 15-20-minute walk from Fountain Mall, and the Downtown Bus Terminal—where nine of the ten Waco city bus routes terminate—is only a 25-minute walk. Bring a friend or put on a podcast and get your steps in on the way to your engaged learning experience!
- Baylor University Shuttle: The Baylor University Shuttle (BUS) is a free bus service provided to all Baylor students and scholars that operates on all class days from 7:25 AM to 5:25 PM. Currently, five routes exist that connect campus to various off-campus apartment complexes and neighborhoods close to campus. For more information on routes or to download the BUS Tracker App to your phone, click here.
- After-Hours Route, Baylor Shuttle: Free after-hours bus service to various on-campus locations is available Monday through Thursday from 6:30 PM to 1:30 AM. For more information, click here.
Waivers:
All students who participate in Engaged Learning courses must have a waiver on file with the Office of Engaged Learning.