This session will focus on the ability of community-engaged learning practices to strengthen connections between higher education and rural communities. In this (post-)Covid era and in a context of divide between campus and town, centering individual connections as a goal in community-engaged learning can offer new ways of bridging a longstanding gap and uniting for social impact. We often collaborate with the same stakeholders and large entities in our communities. This session will explore pedagogies that engage individual community members and learning opportunities that center human interaction and hospitality. We will discuss pedagogical best practices and reflect upon the scale of community partnerships we have within our communities.