Service Learning

What is 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. Service-learning is a structured learning experience that combines community service with preparation and reflection. Service-learning provides college and university students with a “community context” to their education, allowing them to connect their academic coursework to their roles as citizens (Robinson, 2006)

Service-learning is a form of experiential education that:

• is developed, implemented, and evaluated in collaboration with the community,
• responds to community-identified concerns,
• attempts to balance the service that is provided and the learning that takes place,
• enhances the curriculum by extending learning beyond the classroom and allowing students to apply what they’ve learned to real-world situations, and
• provides opportunities for critical reflection.

Robinson, G. (2006) Community Colleges Broadening Horizons through Service Learning. American Association of Community Colleges

Guidelines & Limitations