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Points to Note: Ready and Response: Disaster Relief and Preparation Subgrants deadline is May 23, 2008. See below for details! |
Welcome Faculty and Staff
The Scripps Howard Center's goal is to support you in developing and strengthening service learning and civic engagement opportunities in the classroom.
We do this by providing you with resources, examples, and staff support.
Definition of Service Learning
Principles of Good Practice
Introducing Service Learning to Your Students
Questions to Ask
Funding
Web Resources
Library
Publishing and Presenting
Definition of Service Learning
Service Learning is a course-based, credit-bearing educational experience in which students
- participate in an organized service activity that meets a community need and
- reflect on their service activity as a means of gaining a deeper understanding of course content, a broader appreciation of the discipline, an enhanced sense of appreciation of the discipline, an enhanced sense of civic responsibility, and/or greater interest in and understanding of community life.
(Adapted from Bringle, R. and Hatcher, J. A Service Learning Curriculum for Faculty. The Michigan Journal of Community Service Learning, Fall 1995, pp 112-122.; and Student Action for a Change www.actionforchange.org)
Service learning is one form of community based learning that many educators (in both K-12 and higher education) are using to engage students in the community as part of the learning process. Service activities are integrated into academically based, credit bearing course work as part of the learning process. The service activities become a "lived, dynamic textbook" in service learning classes. The community engagement is an integral part of the learning process in service learning classes. While the service is meeting a community identified need, it is also serving as a learning tool for students in the classroom. Students and faculty use the experiences in the community to deepen their understanding of course materials and content through active reflection and other assignments in the class.
Examples of Service Learning
- Students in a Child Psychology course may work with a tutoring or mentoring program to provide services to school age children through the local schools. In this experience, they are meeting a community need for tutors and mentors for the children, while gaining some "real" interaction with children to test the Child Development theories that they are learning in the classroom.
- Students in an English Composition course may work with any number of nonprofit organizations that need text written for promotional and educational publications. The learning goals of the English Composition class are to teach students research and writing skills. By working with a specific agency, students will learn to research and write by conducting research about the organization, its members, and its work and then writing appropriate pieces for use by the organization. (This example could be taken a step further by involving students in a foreign language class who could also work on this project and provide translation pieces. In addition, foreign language students may also be able to talk with the English students about cultural assumptions and barriers to services from the organization which may influence the way that information is presented to them.)
- Accounting students could work with community councils to provide assistance to community members in filing their tax paperwork each year. This would help the students refine their skills and knowledge in this area, while providing a free service to many community members who may not be aware of different tax laws and filing processes. For other examples of Service Learning, please of NKU faculty discussing what they have done in their classrooms.
Principles of Good Practice in Community Service Learning Pedagogy
- Academic credit is for learning, not for service.
- Do not compromise academic rigor.
- Set learning goals for students.
- Establish criteria for the selection of community service placements.
- Provide educationally sound mechanisms to harvest the community learning.
- Provide supports for students to learn how to harvest the community learning.
- Minimize the distinction between the student's community learning role and the classroom learning role.
- Re-think the faculty instructional role.
- Be prepared for uncertainty and variation in student learning outcomes.
- Maximize the community responsibility orientation of the course.
Jeffrey Howard, Ed. (1993). Praxis I: A Faculty Casebook on Community Service Learning. Ann Arbor, MI: Office of Community Service Learning
Introducing Service Learning to Your Students
Service Learning: Questions to Ask
- Does the service meet a community identified need?
- Is the service connected to an academic course through alignment with the course learning goals?
- What are your learning goals?
- What are your service goals?
- What are your service learning goals?
- Is there an opportunity for students to reflect upon their service and academic learning? Are students encouraged and required to connect their service experience to their learning?
- Individual reflection (i.e., writing, journaling, art, music, etc.)
- Group reflection (i.e., discussion, small group activities, Think-Pair-Share activities
- Is the service intentionally being used as a learning tool to deepen the understanding of the content?
Funding
Click here to view Maggie Stevens's powerpoint on how to find funding for service learning classes.
University Community Partnership Grants
Ready and Response: Disaster Relief and Preparation Service Learning Grant
University Community Partnership Grants
In the first three years of this program, 14 University-Community Partnership Grants totaling more than $536,000, were awarded to NKU faculty members who partnered with schools, social service agencies, health care organizations, nonprofit foundations, government agencies, and other community-based organizations to make a difference in the quality of life for local residents. Another $200,000 has been earmarked to fund this year's grants.
Get more information about the University-Community Partnership Grant Program through the Office of the Associate Provost for Regional Stewarship.
Ready and Response: Disaster Relief and Preparation
Service Learning Course Development Subgrants
Click here to learn about this funding opportunity to support your service learning courses that include work related to disaster relief and preparation. This program is generously funded through as a Learn and Serve America Higher Education grant that was awarded to Kentucky and Louisiana Campus Compacts from the Corporation for National and Community Service. Deadline to apply is May 23, 2008.
Web Resources
Click here to find a list of helpful web resources that we have selected for your convenience.
Scripps Howard Center Library for Civic Engagement
In addition to the variety of web resources that you can find on this webpage, the Scripps Howard Center is pleased to offer a Civic Engagement library for faculty and staff to use as a resource to support their work with service learning and civic engagement.
To browse the content of our library, please click here.
Publishing and Presenting
Below is a list of Conferences or Publications looking for submissions. Please also visit our Web Resources section for ongoing opportunities.
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