Service-learning courses are offered in all disciplines. Below are models of other courses, sample syllabi, resources for course construction, reflective analysis tools, and support for community partnership development.
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Learning a course concept through addressing community-based issues
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Sharing academic resources to conduct community-based research
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Tutoring students or adults
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Providing informational presentations
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Volunteering with an organization or agency
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Developing materials or projects, which serve to increase an organization's or agency's organizational capacity
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Community projects focused on restoration and preservation
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Developing guides on community services and gathering information
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Conducting informational campaigns
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Drafting legislation
In the case of Arts and Humanities, service-learning may also be applicable to any kind of community service involving information dissemination and communicating to relevant audiences.
Applicable Examples for Different Departments
The below examples are pulled from various resources that showcase departments across the nation.
Service-learning activity usually falls into two categories:
TYPE 1) Teaching/tutoring/sharing knowledge from the class
Example: Students at Bentley College in Waltham, Massachusetts, in partnership with several immigrant-based non-governmental organizations, assisted local immigrants in a variety of tasks including taking photos, ESL tutoring, job counseling, and helping to complete packets for naturalization. The students gained insight into the immigration process and realized that “ decisions to immigrate are difficult for immigrants to make and often quite personal.”
TYPE 2) Using the information in the class to do something with/for a community organization.
Example: Students at California State University, Monterey Bay explore multiculturalism and pluralism in “culturally and linguistically diverse elementary school classrooms.” The students “share literature, promote literacy, and help children make cross-cultural connections.” They then reflect on cultural misconceptions. Their experiences are then drawn upon for other aspects of the class including developing an annotated bibliography for cross-cultural reading materials, and a final multi-media presentation. “This presentation is a celebration of the growth in knowledge and perspective that each student has gained through the course and the service-learning.” “Not only is it a good experience for the students, but it also helps create and maintain good relationships with our community partners.”
Service-learning activity usually falls into two categories:
TYPE 1 - Teaching/tutoring/sharing knowledge from the class
Example: Several California State Universities (CSU) in Southern California participated in a service learning program called Getty LINKING, which paired art students with community partners throughout the southland. Photography students from CSU Fullerton (CSUF) partnered with the Highland Learning Center in Orange, California. The CSUF students worked with low-income children and their families to learn about photography and create family portraits. One student reflected “This changed me as a person to realize that I am very fortunate to be able to have the lifestyle I live today. Many times I do take it for granted and forget but at times like these it’s a reality check.
Overall, it was a great experience to help out the community and give some time to kids that need it.” The community partner said, “The whole experience was wonderful. I would do it again and again. It’s not charity; it is an investment because we’re giving the students the tools to survive.”
TYPE 2 - Using the information in the class to do something with/for a community organization.
Example: Art students from CSU Los Angeles partnered with a 4th-grade teacher and her class from Longfellow Elementary School in Pasadena, California, to create a pen pal program. The students wrote letters to children in Baltimore, Maryland, and created “envelope art”. CSULA students also worked with the Eagle Rock Community Center in developing “fine art “response” pieces to Eagle Rock High School student's artwork and helped set up an art exhibition for public viewing of their work to provide community exposure for the ERCCC.
One student reflected that “the service-learning class promoted togetherness…art is a universal language, and it solidified my desire to teach and do volunteering…”. The community partner was extremely satisfied with the outcome as well, stating, “The kids were just thrilled. Children of poverty tend to be very localized - almost isolated. They may never see the ocean, as they tend to stay more in their area and do not want to go out of their familiar surroundings. It’s good to have a program to broaden their geographical parameters. If they can see what college is like, then they’ll want to go—and if they can be touched at an early age, that’s great.”
1 - Reports and Evaluations | Academic Service Learning | Initiatives | Center for Community Engagement | CSU" California State University. Web. 10 July 2015.
Service-learning activity usually falls into two categories:
TYPE 1) Teaching/tutoring/sharing knowledge from the class
Example: Students at Willamette University in Salem, Oregon, took part in a service-learning project called the Migrant Education Program. At the local level in Salem, the partner in the program was the Salem-Keizer School District which has a substantial population of children whose parents work in agricultural-related occupations. The Spanish-speaking university students were able to “implement [their] approach to accomplishing the set goal of ‘vocabulary building and acquisition of oral communication skills.’ “ Upon reflecting on their experiences students noted “their own fears and values; they feel a sense of solidarity with the child who is afraid of being laughed at: Many have been there before….this creates an environment in which everyone learns because the authority and power granted by knowledge are actively deconstructed, with both the pupil and tutor functioning as learners and teachers.”
The efforts of the university students were acknowledged with small tokens of appreciation from the community partner. In the end, the “students became aware that we are not value-free in our judgments and that language acquisition is part of learning a culture. We cannot learn one without the other.” 1
TYPE 2) Using the information in the class to do something with/for a community organization.
Example: Students enrolled in a cross-discipline course in Raza Studies and Criminal Justice at San Francisco State University were able to see firsthand some of the injustices that occurred at the local juvenile hall. As part of the project, the university students made “plans of action for social change in local communities.” They were asked to come up with “rehabilitation strategies and alternatives to incarceration” after observing the youth and gaining insight into life at juvenile hall.
The service-learning project “put students more directly in touch with the human meaning of racial bias.” As one student reflected, “You talk about how the jails are filled with Blacks and Latinos but I couldn’t really believe it. When I walked into juvenile hall the first (day) I believed it. I didn’t see one White face.” Another student stated, “It’s humbling to realize that what I do or don’t do affects someone else besides just me sometimes with serious consequences. It’s an awesome responsibility but it makes me feel good about myself. What I am doing is about more than just my grade.” 2
Service-learning activity usually falls into two categories:
TYPE 1) Teaching/tutoring/sharing knowledge from the class
Example: Journalism students at the University of Denver took part in a service-learning project as part of their critical media literacy program. They partnered with local high school students, collaborating on a research project. After familiarizing themselves with several frameworks for thinking of the role of media, the university students each picked one that resonated with them and produced a 2-minute video essay about their chosen topic. “Once the videos were completed, they then collectively selected the videos that they felt would be most interesting to show to urban high school students as part of a collaborative learning situation. They made this selection based on what they learned about the high school community through in-class research and discussion.”
After showing their productions to the high school students and engaging in a discussion, the university students wrote reflections. “In her reflection paper after this encounter, the producer of this video essay wrote about how the experience had made her aware of her own unintentional biases. She noted that she wished she’d included: ‘… more perspectives in my video essay, if possible. I think it would be beneficial to focus on the prevalence and use of media in underdeveloped countries, instead of only focusing on how media is influencing activism among those in the United States.’ “ The professor noted that “Media activism like the critical media literacy project outlined here can involve encouraging students to participate in a social critique of media systems, but it is also a way for them to acknowledge their own biases so that they do not reproduce the mistakes of elitism that journalism has encountered in the past. Like those engaged in public journalism, we can encourage our students not only to report on but to act as agents and co-learners who see their task as working to improve public life for all members of the communities they serve.” 2
TYPE 2) Using the information in the class to do something with/for a community organization.
Example: Students at St. John Fisher College in Rochester, New York participated in a service-learning project in which they could choose several avenues to work on public relations campaigns, partnering with the City of Rochester, specifically the media editor. The media editor assisted in “orienting the students to the master plan, coaching them on requirements for their campaigns, and offering feedback throughout the planning process.
Additionally, students conducted primary research on their neighborhoods, including polls, focus groups, and interviews.” One of the students reflected that she’s “uncovered a historic, picturesque community full of cultural offerings.” “This is all about building relationships with clients and meeting their needs,” another student said. 3
1 Applegate, James L. and Sherwyn P. Morreale. “Service-Learning in Communication: A Natural Partnership.” Preface/Forward Type. Voices of Strong Democracy: Concepts and Models for Service-learning in Communication Studies. Sterling: Stylus Publishing, LLC, 2006. Ix-xiv. Print.
2 Clark, Lynn S. “Cultivating the media activist: How critical media literacy and critical service learning can reform journalism education.” Special Issue: Practicing Media Activism, Shaping Networked Journalism 14.7 (2013): 886-889. SAGE. Web. 28 Sept. 2015.
Service-learning activity usually falls into two categories:
TYPE 1 - Teaching/tutoring/sharing knowledge from the class.
Example: Students at Syracuse University in Syracuse, New York, partnered with the Community Child Project to respond to issues of poverty and illiteracy. As part of the program, the Syracuse students tutored the children and also “decided to write and illustrate a children’s book with local children as a way to involve and understand the power of community action.” As one student reflected, “We set out to tackle issues of illiteracy in the community, and this was our creative intervention into a problem that really needs to be addressed. Once the book is published, the copyrights will be turned over to Success By 6. It will be a renewable resource for the community for years to come.” At the end of the semester, there was an art show, which featured the illustrations that the children drew for the book. 2
TYPE 2 - Using the information in the class to do something with/for a community organization.
Example: English composition students at Louisiana State University in Baton Rouge, Louisiana, worked in groups on a collaborative writing project for five non-profits in the Baton Rouge area. The groups spent time interviewing the subjects and producing something tangible. The finished projects took the form of videos, a video script of oral history, and brochures. As one student reflected, “The best aspect of this class is that it allows you to be in complete (almost complete) control of your own work, both creatively and structurally. This way you can OWN what you do!” 3
Service-learning activity usually falls into two categories:
TYPE 1 - Teaching/tutoring/sharing knowledge from the class.
Example: Freshmen students at Rollins College in Winter Park, Florida, a small liberal arts school, are required to take four core interdisciplinary courses concurrently. One of the courses, Multicultural Literature, included a service-learning component. The Rollins students were paired with an elementary school that was determined to be in high need, identified “to assist all students to meet proficiency by 2014 and to assure that each child is given the maximum opportunity to achieve at high levels.” The Rollins students designed activities around literature that was primarily Hispanic, African-American, and Native American in origin. “For each book, a lesson plan was developed and discussed that integrated language arts, history, and art.”
The lesson plans were implemented on a one-on-one basis. One of the Rollins students reflected “I have a much higher regard of Multicultural Literature because it exposes children to cultures that they normally may not encounter and teaches them that diversity is safe and not to be afraid of it—through the stories told. Their purpose was unknown to me before [the service-learning experience].” “In general, the service-learning experience increased the perception of being connected with the community and providing a valuable service to the school and community.” 1
TYPE 2 - Using the information in the class to do something with/for a community organization.
Example: Students in the Hutchins School at Sonoma State University (SSU) participated in a service-learning project “providing students with hands-on experience in school gardens and in other areas of the local food system.” “Focusing an upper-division interdisciplinary seminar on the topic of food provides an excellent opportunity for developing community-based learning projects. The need for healthy food and sustainable agricultural systems is a topic that is gaining considerable recognition in the public media and stimulates considerable interest among students," says Dr. Debora Hammond.
Additionally, in response to community requests, students participate in collaborative research in connection with community food assessment initiatives. Hammond reports that as a result of the service-learning class, students begin to understand the connection between personal health, the health of the environment, and the overall health of society. 2
Service-learning activity usually falls into two categories:
TYPE 1) Teaching/tutoring/sharing knowledge from the class
Example: Students at Willamette University in Salem, Oregon, took part in a service-learning project called the Migrant Education Program. At the local level in Salem, the partner in the program was the Salem-Keizer School District that has a substantial population of children whose parents work in agricultural-related occupations. The Spanish-speaking university students were able to connect with the migrant children by using a common language and “ accomplishing the set goal of ‘vocabulary building and acquisition of oral communication skills'".
Upon reflecting on their experiences students noted “their own fears and values; they feel a sense of solidarity with the child who is afraid of being laughed at: Many have been there before….this creates an environment in which everyone learns because the authority and power granted by knowledge are actively deconstructed, with both the pupil and tutor functioning as learners and teachers.” The efforts of the university students were acknowledged with small tokens of appreciation from the community partner. In the end the “students became aware that we are not value free in our judgments and that language acquisition is part of learning a culture. We cannot learn one without the other.” 2
TYPE 2) Using information in the class to do something with/for a community organization.
Example: Students at San José State University took part in a service-learning course called Basics of Translation. The goals of the class “were twofold: to provide both technical training on the phase of the translation process and a real-life experience in translating for a worthy cause.” Students worked with a variety of agencies including a local preschool, an elementary school, and Portable Assisted Study Sequence (P.A.S.S.) that serves migrant children.
The university students translated a variety of things from fact sheets featuring animals to self-help handouts and information on Family Court Services to adapting a Spanish version of the book Stories We Brought With Us. University students “have an opportunity to show initiative and creativity while developing truly motivated commitment to their local communities. Through peer editing, native and non-native speakers of Spanish learn from one another, using their differences in language proficiency as a source of union, rather than division or competitiveness.” Some, but not all, of the agencies expressed gratitude to the translators, with one in particular hosting a reception for the university students. 3
Service-learning activity usually falls into two categories:
TYPE 1) Teaching/tutoring/sharing knowledge from the class
Example: Students at Ithaca College Music Education Department partnered with the Tompkins Community Action Headstart Program. “The project is designed to provide music experiences both for children with special needs, such as students with disabilities and those who are English language learners and for children from low income and high needs backgrounds. During weekly visits to Ithaca College's campus, students from area Headstart programs participate in lessons designed to provide valuable musical opportunities. Music lessons are also structured to enhance and expand skills that are taught in their Headstart classroom. These include gross and fine motor, language, cognitive, and social skills. In addition to the enhancement of developmental skills, children in this program experience the joy of making music from the time they enter the class until they leave.” All music education students benefit from the experience by assisting the lead teacher.” 2
TYPE 2) Using the information in the class to do something with/for a community organization.
Example: Music Education students at Temple University in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania, participated as members of the Collegiate National Association for Music Education (formerly Music Educators National Conference—CMENC) as part of their service-learning. They partnered with a local elementary school in planning and implementing a music program for the children. “They act in the role of experts—as administrators and teachers—by selecting content, procedures, informal assessments, reflection formats, and celebration activities.” The Temple University students reflected that “Close partnering and communication between faculty and service-learning site staff” and “opportunities for students to have input on the structure and nature of their service-learning” were key ingredients to having a “meaningful service-learning experience.” 3
1 Transforming Music Teacher Education Through Service Learning by Suzanne Burton and Alison Reynolds.
2 "Project Headstart - Music Education - Ithaca College." Ithaca College, n.d. Web. 14 July 2015.
Service-learning activity usually falls into two categories:
TYPE 1 - Teaching/tutoring/sharing knowledge from the class
Example: Philosophy students at Bentley College in Waltham, Massachusetts, took part in a service-learning course titled Perspectives on Poverty. The students partnered with elementary school students at Alexander Hamilton School. “Our group experience has covered work with children at each grade level K-5, with a multi-grade special-needs classroom, and with the resource room and the computer science laboratory.” They helped tutor the young children in reading, writing, and computer work. They were also called upon to “help teach sportsmanship and cooperative play through sports and games.”
The university students reflected a common theme, and that noticing the “impact of poverty in other arenas of the children’s lives on their experience at school…” Also, seeing “‘discipline problems’ in this context enabled (the) students to get beyond simple solutions such as heavier discipline.” Back in the classroom, the university students discussed the topic of “deserving versus undeserving poor, and what criteria might distinguish these groups.” The community partner felt the students eased the burden of overseeing the elementary students and the work has been “well-received by the teachers” and the children have been “thrilled at the interaction with and attention from young adults.” 2
TYPE 2 - Using information in the class to do something with/for a community organization.
Example: Students at Shawnee State University in Portsmouth, Ohio, used service-learning experiences within the framework of philosophical works by Aristotle, Plato, Kant, and Hobbes to solidify what they were learning in class. Their community partners ranged from working with residents in a domestic violence shelter to serving residents in a nursing home, to performing an interracial or interfaith service at a community center. They touched on intellectual virtues and moral virtues, and the “relationship between a well-lived life and a good community.”
One of the guidelines is the “philosophical ground that it provides students with richer experiences with which to evaluate postmodern depictions of reason and pervasively racial, gendered, or ethnocentric in character.” One student reflected, “I think we need to adopt the Platonic concept of community policing. All too often we say, ‘we shouldn’t get involved’ or ‘it’s not my problem.’ I think the community needs to stand up to the abusers to let them know that their actions are unacceptable.” 3
Service-learning activity usually falls into two categories:
TYPE 1) Teaching/tutoring/sharing knowledge from the class
Example: Dance students at the University of Wisconsin-Milwaukee partnered with community storytellers of the Walnut Way Conservation Corporation to perform a representation of their oral history. They took on the role of dance teachers, as well as performers, instructing both middle and high school students in the choreography. One student reflected, “The experience also helped me pay more attention to detail in class and to the way I learn personally—this stemmed from my teaching experiences during the outreach and finding out how the kids reacted to my teaching style.” Another student noted, “Teaching is my biggest passion and I was so grateful to be able to teach in those schools. We were all there to dance together…we were connected by dance.”1
TYPE 2) Using information in the class to do something with/for a community organization.
Example: Dance students at the University of Wisconsin-Milwaukee partnered with community storytellers of the Walnut Way Conservation Corporation to perform a representation of their oral history. Walnut Way is primarily an African-American neighborhood. The themes of arrival/migration, social life, spirituality, and segregation/civil rights were explored in the choreography and the selection of music.1
Service-learning activity usually falls into two categories:
TYPE 1 - Teaching/tutoring/sharing knowledge from the class
Example: Business students at the University of Santa Clara in Santa Clara, California, took part in a service-learning project called the Eastside Project. Students conducted a personal money management workshop at a homeless shelter for the mentally ill. They conducted a math pre-test to assess the skills of the residents. They then spent time working with the residents on remedial math, basic banking skills, and personal budget development. The residents were given monthly budget forms to track expenses and income. One student reflected that the residents “were not people with mental disabilities, but rather suffered from mental illness.” The residents found in the students “fellow human beings who took an interest in them, who cared about them.” 2
TYPE 2 - Using the information in the class to do something with/for a community organization.
Example: Students in the College of Business at Montana State University in Bozeman, Montana, participate in a service-learning project as part of their senior seminar. In one case, the students partnered with the Gallatin Valley Food Bank to raise money for the agency. The local campaign was called Blue Jean Friday and Bozeman business employees “bought” the right to wear jeans to work by donating $2.00 to the Food Bank. The university students “worked on marketing and promotional measures to increase participation in the Food Bank. They conducted several analyses and worked with its board of directors to develop a strategy and the steps necessary to implement that strategy.” At the end of the semester, the students presented their findings and recommendations and these were forwarded to the community agency. “Most important, students are given an opportunity to engage in service in ways that will ultimately promote internalization of and commitment to social responsibility and effective citizenship.” 1
Service-learning activity usually falls into two categories:
TYPE 1 - Teaching/tutoring/sharing knowledge from the class.
Example: Economics students at Occidental College in Los Angeles took part in a service-learning project that was part of the Economics of Race and Gender class. Their community partner was a local high school located in a low-income neighborhood. Part of the project “consisted of preparing a 55-minute interactive lesson on one of the topics listed on the syllabus and then teaching the lesson to students…” The university students had to apply the theories that they were learning in class and put it into context for high school students. They had many goals, among them increasing economic literacy, teaching topics related to race and gender, and getting the high school students to “understand that there is more to economics than the Federal Reserve Board, interest rates, money, and consumption.” One student reflected, “I learned that I can actually teach well. I always thought I would be horrible and that I would hate it, but neither was the case.” 2
TYPE 2 - Using the information in the class to do something with/for a community organization.
Example: Students at the University of Richmond in Virginia, took part in a service-learning project as part of their Women and Gender issues in Economics course. “It is designed to point out differences in economic circumstances between men and women. Various theories are provided in order to explain these differences, and students are expected to understand as well as contrast neoclassical, Marxist, institutionalist, and feminist perspectives on each topic covered.” One example of a community partner served as an emergency shelter. The students spent time “identifying resources, such as employment and educational opportunities and long-term child are, for particular shelter occupants.” They then linked their work at the organization with economic theory and reflected on their experiences. One student noted, “Many of the women in the shelter are not lazy, but have had bad luck and have been in abusive relationships.” They realize that poverty and homelessness is not an easy cycle to break and that it takes a caring community to make a difference. An exit survey concluded that the community organizations were “very satisfied 88% of the time, and every organization expressed interest in continuing the program with future classes.” 1
Service-learning activity in a postsecondary setting usually falls into two categories:
Category A: Teaching/tutoring/sharing knowledge from the class
Example: Graduate students from Clemson University learning about service-learning, teach K-12 teachers how to develop and implement a service-learning project with children.1
Category B: Using the information in the class to do something with/for a community organization
Example: Students in EDUC 295 tutor students at Roseland University Prep."[Service-learning] assists schools in making important connections to the broader community...is a critical part of the entire school-reform picture...because service-learning does not compete with the standard curriculum. It supports and deepens the curriculum for all students...An important first step is to make sure service-learning is tied into the school’s mission or vision."
Service-learning activity in a postsecondary setting usually falls into two categories:
Category A: Teaching/tutoring/sharing knowledge from the class
Example: Service-learners from Providence College worked with a local community center to develop and staff an after-school children’s program.3
Students establish a collaborative context for research and practice...an action research design is developed and implemented. After data are acquired, students develop a comprehensive plan for problem resolution and report their findings and results of their student to community collaborators...Throughout the course, reflective activity is pursued...at the conclusion of the course...community feedback is utilized to correct any possible misperceptions.4
Category B: Using the information in the class to do something with/for a community organization
Example: Clark Atlanta University EDA 610 Community Educational Leadership students work as a research team to identify a problem or issue of significance to the local community. For example, one project “focused on parent centers in local schools. Students developed an intensive, structured interview schedule supported by observation and document analysis.”
Having the skills and experience to integrate service-learning themselves may be more valuable than participating in service-learning. Mary J. Syfax Noble, an elementary school administrator in the Minneapolis Public Schools explains:
[Service-learning] assists schools in making important connections to the broader community...is a critical part of the entire school-reform picture...because service-learning does not compete with the standard curriculum. It supports and deepens the curriculum for all students...An important first step is to make sure service-learning is tied to the school’s mission or vision.5
1 From A K-12 Administrator's Perspective.
2[Learning With the Community: Concepts and Models for Service Learning in Teacher Education.
Service-learning activity in a postsecondary setting usually falls into two categories:
Category A: Teaching/tutoring/sharing knowledge from the class
Example: Service-learners from Kentucky State University construct a concrete representation of a teaching concept which is left with preschool and elementary teachers for their future use.2
Category B: Using the information in the class to do something with/for a community organization.
Example: Service learners from Gustavus Adolphus College tutor children in ESL classrooms.3
Having the skills and experience to integrate service-learning themselves may be more valuable than participating in service-learning. Mary J. Syfax Noble, an elementary school administrator in the Minneapolis Public Schools explains:
"[Service-learning] assists schools in making important connections to the broader community...is a critical part of the entire school-reform picture...because service-learning does not compete with the standard curriculum. It supports and deepens the curriculum for all students...An important first step is to make sure service-learning is tied into the school’s mission or vision."4
4Learning With the Community: Concepts and Models for Service Learning in Teacher Education
Service-learning activity usually falls into two categories:
TYPE 1) Teaching/tutoring/sharing knowledge from the class.
Example: Students from Northeastern University in Boston, Massachusetts who were enrolled in an introductory Cell and Molecular Biology class participated in after-school programs for K-12 students. They partnered with the Boys and Girls Club, as well as the Science Club for Girls where they served as mentors. Some of the activities they implemented were an immune system computer game, mosaic membrane art, and 3-dimensional DNA models. Overall, the students had positive experiences and reflected this in their required blog posts. As one student summed up, “The ability to integrate what I learn in class to what I teach and vice versa has helped me appreciate the science so much more.” In the three years that the service-learning took place, “all partner organizations reported that the service-learners helped support the organizational mission.” 1
TYPE 2) Using the information in the class to do something with/for a community organization.
Example: Students in two upper-division biology classes, Medical Microbiology and Cell Biology, at the University of St. Thomas in Houston, Texas, participated in a service-learning project at underserved clinics. They worked with AIDS patients, the uninsured, and non-English speakers, helping to fill out forms, schedule appointments, and assisting in the pharmacy. The more experienced students shadowed physicians and participated in simple medical procedures. The students were required to keep a blog to reflect on their experiences. Over 90% of the students surveyed felt “the community work benefited the community and they felt a personal responsibility to meet the needs of the community partner.” 2