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Definition of Service-Learning

“Service-Learning is a teaching and learning strategy that integrates meaningful community service with instruction and reflection to enrich the learning experience, teach civic responsibility, and strengthen communities”
National Service Learning Clearinghouse, 2012

Goal:

To enhance student learning through an integrated approach that amalgamates academic knowledge and organized service to address community-identified priorities.

Student Learning Outcomes:

Students will be able to:

Learn

Examine responsible and inclusive strategies for advancing sustainable communities. (Competencies: Decision Making, Analysis, Evaluation, Social Justice, Social Responsibility).

Serve

Demonstrate skills that convey a reciprocal relationship between the course’s discipline and the identified community priority (Competencies: Service, Others’ Circumstances, Appropriate Interaction)

Reflect

Articulate the relationship between course content and service-learning experience through guided critical reflection assignments (Competencies: Reflection & Application, Evaluation, Decision Making).

Volunteer vs. Service-Learning

Community Service/Volunteerism	Service-Learning
Students pick-up trash in a local park.	Environmental Biology students pick-up trash in a local park and research the effects of litter on surrounding ecosystems. They present their findings to the class.
Students volunteer at a nursing home.	Students record the life stories of residents living at a nursing home and submit the biographies as an assignment for their Creative Writing class.
Students teach English to migrant workers living in their community.	Political science students teach English to migrant workers and then have an in-class debate about whether immigrants should be required to learn English.

Models of service-learning

Model	Definition	Example
Direct	Interaction between students and a community partner staff or clients	Interact with seniors at a living facility, teach a health concept, read to young children
Indirect	Students will not need to weekly visit the community partner site to complete these projects	Create marketing and advertising pieces, write grant documents, and write a strategic plan
Community-based Research	Engage the expertise of the community partner, faculty, and student to address a pressing community issue for an organization	Assessment of community needs, land mapping, water testing for residents
Advocacy	Students create awareness and promote action on a local issue	Plan/participate in advocacy activities, public speaking, and conducting public information campaigns

Last updated: 12/2/2022