Mindful of the need for quality professional development and its characteristics, large numbers of educators are self-selecting to participate in workplace/community learning (WCL) experiences. Viewed as an alternative to less desirable forms of traditional professional development, WCL displays characteristics of high-quality professional development and motivates increased interdependent learning among the parties involved. WCL experiences must include the following components: (1) an orientation to the WCL experience; (2) the experiential component; (3) the development of an action plan; and (4) engagement in connecting activities following the WCL experience. The following strategies help create conducive learning environments in WCL programs: (1) effective brokering of WCL opportunities; (2) communicating the experience's relevance in enhancing instructional practice; (3) recognizing time constraints; and (4) providing incentives for participation. Tasks associated with completing a project during a WCL experience should provide in-depth understanding of the following things: the business or organization; a workplace technology application; the use of academic skills in emerging careers; and other insights important to both educators and hosts. WCL providers have been proven to offer transformative and contextualized learning experiences providing insight into how the academic content and theories they teach are applied in settings beyond school. A WCL action planning checklist is included. (Contains 12 references.) (MN)