What is service-learning ?

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What is service-learning ?
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What is service-learning?

• Credit-Bearing educational experience
• Students participate in an organized service
  activity
• Service activity meets an identified community
  need
• Reflection about service activities occur in
  such a way that to gain a further understanding
  of the course, and enhanced civic responsibility!

Robert Bringle and Julie Hatcher, A
service-learning curriculum for Faculty. The
Michigan Journal of Community Service-Learning,
Fall 1995
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Distinguishing service-learning from other
service/volunteer opportunities

• Example 1 Students remove trash from an urban
  stream to help clean up their community park
• Example 2 Students are in a environmental class
  where they are studying pollution and learning
  about its effects.
• Are any of these examples service-learning?
• Why or Why not?

Example 1 exhibits the service component and
example 2 exhibits the learning component. By
themselves, they are not an example of
service-learning.
Information taken from Oak Creek-Franklin Joint
School district Service-learning tool kit Fall
2005
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Connecting Service with Learning

• Remember examples 1 and 2.
• By themselves they are not service-learning.
• Who could give me an example of combing these
  examples to create a service-learning
  opportunity?
• Service-learning Students are in an
  environmental course, where they are studying
  pollution. As a group, students visit a local
  park, and remove trash from the area. Back in
  class, students analyze material collected and
  gather information about pollutions effect on the
  environment at the park. Students then present
  this information to the park and the community.
  They also create a final write up report of
  suggestions and/ ways to reduce pollution for the
  park.

Information taken from Oak Creek-Franklin Joint
School district Service-learning tool kit Fall
2005
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Key Components for effective Service-learning
Curricular Connection the connection of the
service back to the course material Serving a
genuine community need serves a genuine
need Community Partnership (an aspect of social
capital) mutually beneficial, reciprocal
partnerships formed between the campus and a
community organization Student Voice allowing
students, when ever it is possible, to have say
in the service projects that they are to complete
and/ or develop
Wisconsin Campus Compact . AmeriCorps VISTA
Training In-service/Binder. 28-31 August 2005
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Key Components for effective Service-learning
continued.
Student Voice allowing students, when ever it is
possible, to have say in the service projects
that they are to complete and/ or
develop Reflection is an activity that occurs
before, during and after a service project is
completed. Through reflection, students are able
to glance back on the service they have completed
and its connection to their course topics, there
by enhancing their education. Examples of
reflection papers, posters, and discussion
sections. Assessment occurs after a service
project is completed. Assessment allows for
evaluation of a program, to relay input given
about the success of a program from professors,
students, community partners and recipients of
service. Through this information, program
organizers will know how to create a more
effective program for the future.
Wisconsin Campus Compact . AmeriCorps VISTA
Training In-service/Binder. 28-31 August 2005