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Service Learning: Adding Service that Supports the Curriculum
What is Service Learning?
"Service-learning is a particularly fertile way of involving young people in community service, because it ties helping others to what they are learning in the classroom. It enables them to apply academic disciplines to practical, everyday problems. In the process, it provides a compelling answer to the adolescent's perennial question, 'Why do I need to learn this stuff?'" - Colin Powell, U.S. Secretary of State
Service learning provides students with opportunities to apply what they learn in the classroom to “real world” issues in the community. It can be structured in many ways, but most often takes the form of a collaborative, closed-ended project in which individuals, groups or entire classes have the opportunity to demonstrate and relate what they are learning in a way that helps others. Well-designed service-learning projects ensure a balance between student learning and the needs addressed by service sites, to make sure that both are considered in any projects they create.
Service learning, by definition has three primary components:
- Addresses a real and compelling issue or problem.
- Apply skills learned in an academic setting, and that are connected to an academic course.
- Uses purposeful reflection to help students understand what they are learning, the context in which the social issue they are addressing exists and how a society might best approach this issue.
By participating in service learning, students should:
- Demonstrate an increased commitment to the class project because the outcomes are not only theoretical, but impact the lives of real people.
- Increase their commitment to serving others by better understanding the impact of their services on the issues that people are facing.
- Gain critical thinking skills through high impact learning that maximizes both practical and theoretical elements. Studies suggest that this sort of praxis can improve not only information recall but also the ability to apply the information gained from the course content to complex issues and problems.
The Student Life Service Learning Mini-Grant
At Stephen F. Austin we hope to encourage all faculty and students to value and participate in service learning activities which enhance the community environment, further the student’s understanding of the world and hopefully connects to the student’s academic program. In order to support this university perspective the Office of Student Life has created a mini-grant grant program for students and faculty to access funding for worthy service learning projects. A limited number of service grants are available at SFA to all undergraduate and graduate students and faculty interested in implementing a service learning project that is connected to their academic experience. Service Grants are typically under $500. Larger grants may be offered under special circumstances.
Service learning grants can help to pay for expenses related to project development and delivery. Some common expenses include:
- Travel to service learning sites
- Supplies and equipment needed to complete the project
- Printing services
- Resource materials
Deadlines
Deadline for applying for a spring 2010 Service Learning Grant is December 11, 2009. Applications for grants that have been accepted will be notified one week later.
Requirements
Grant recipients must submit a short report that explains how the funds were spent and what they accomplished with the funding. Pictures are encouraged in order to help visually document the service experience. Funds that are not used in the time allotted will revert back to the service account. Grant recipients must also agree to participate in our evaluation process. Still have questions? Contact Michael Preston, Director of Student Life, at mpreston@sfasu.edu
Student Life Service Learning Mini-Grant Application
Interested?
The Office of Student Life has teamed up with the Teaching Excellence Center to offer workshops on service learning and how you can apply it to your class or academic department. We can work with your department to schedule a presentation in your department or we can schedule a presentation in the center. We also offer one on one consultations to allow for more directed information and help.
At these sessions you will receive information on defining service learning, unique ways to enter it into your curriculum and resources available. Service learning is not only a national hot topic for dozens of colleges it has become a center feature of the learning outcomes of a university. To register for one of these sessions, call Michael Preston at 468-2988 or email him at mpreston@sfasu.edu
Service Learning Guide
The Office of Student Life along with the Teaching Excellence Center has collaborated to provide our faculty with a guide to help facilitate the process of service learning and answer many of your questions on how to integrate this program into your course syllabi. This guide is designed to allow for the Office of Student Life to much of the heavy lifting and allow for you to develop your curricular program to provide for the best learning outcomes. We have also listed a PDF which includes contacts for local non-profits. These organizations are usually best suited to provide service opportunities.