This document discusses experiential learning and community service-learning goals. It outlines concepts like sustainability, civic engagement, social justice, and servant leadership. It provides examples of service-learning opportunities like an after-school program, alternative spring break trips, and internships. Community partners are mentioned along with the roles of the community service-learning office in coordinating programs and placements. Questions from participants are solicited at the end.

1. Experiential Learning Toward
Transformative Outcomes
Eric Lassahn, Ph.D.
elassahn@willamette.edu

2. Community Service-Learning
Goals:
❏ Increased awareness of the variety of service-learning opportunities in CSL
❏ Understanding and ability to articulate concepts of Sustainability,
Experiential Learning, Service-Learning, Servant Leadership, and Civic
Engagement
❏ Ability to reflect on the impact of community service and foster civic
responsibility from local to global arenas
❏ Entertaining opportunities to connect experience (such as service) with
knowledge-based content (such as academic coursework)

3. Sustainability = Viable Economic Systems,
Inclusive Communities that Thrive,
Maintaining our Natural Environment
Platinum Rule
Education as the vehicle
• EcoChallenge (October 15-29)

4. Kolb, 2012

5. “Civic engagement is acting on a heightened
sense of responsibility to one’s communities
that encompasses the notions of global
citizenship and interdependence, participation
in building civil society, and empowering
individuals as agents of positive social change
to promote social justice locally and globally.”
–Barbara Jacoby and Associates, Civic Engagement in Higher Education, 2009

6. Active Citizen Continuum • Break Away: the Alternative Break Connection, Inc.

7. - Identifying the issues
- Relationship to broader
community
- Changing societal
landscape
- Civil Rights
- Awareness, Advocacy,
Activism

8. “Social justice includes addressing the
differences among us such as race, gender, and
sexual orientation while also valuing cultural
differences and learning how to communicate
within and across these differences. What
separates social justice from diversity and
multiculturalism is that social justice explicitly
examines the power structures in society
related to these differences, as these power
structures result in privilege and oppression.”
– Ryan C. Holmes and Associates, “Why Objectivity is Not Enough,” 2008

9. “The servant-leader is servant first... It begins with the natural
feeling that one wants to serve, to serve first. Then conscious
choice brings one to aspire to lead. That person is sharply
different from one who is leader first...” (Greenleaf, 1970)
Characteristics of Servant Leadership:
- ?

10. Expand knowledge of civic engagement
opportunities
Development of Civic Identity (Sense of
Responsibility)
Enhance participants’ motivation and desire
to lead through service

11. I have gained more knowledge to plan or help
implement an initiative that improves the
community
Strongly Agree
Somewhat Agree
Agree
Somewhat Disagree
Disagree
Strongly Disagree

12. I am more knowledgeable about opportunities to get
involved in the community
Strongly Agree
Somewhat Agree
Agree
Somewhat Disagree
Disagree

13. I have a better sense of who I am, which now includes a
sincere desire to be of service to others
Strongly Agree
Somewhat Agree
Agree
Somewhat Disagree
Disagree
Strongly Disagree

14. As a result of participating in today's service event, how likely are
you to volunteer at a community organization in the future?
Verly Likely
Somewhat Likely
Likely
Very Unlikely

15. Support for course-based service-learning:
 Assist students in completion of projects
 Facilitate or support ongoing reflection activities
 Introduce S-L concepts to class
 Attend relevant class sessions
 Assist with the coordination of student placements
 Ongoing support for student peers
 Distributing and collecting relevant S-L course documents
 Analyzing community partner, student, and faculty
evaluations
 Content/materials development

16. Volunteer program for study abroad
returnees, international students, and
language assistants
Create and present language and culture
activities for presentations in public school
classrooms
Presentations available for WU classes
2015-2016.

17. After school program at Bush Elementary School.
- After school program
- Youth mentorship,
tutoring, etc.
- 15-30 WU students
- Elementary aged
children
- Tuesday & Thursday
Afternoons

18. Alternative Spring Break Program
- Groups of 15-20 students
- Trips address social and environmental issues
- Approximately 5 trips
- Student driven & led.
*Seeking Faculty Partnership
for Course-Based Trip

19. Core staff in Community Service-Learning
Responsible for:
- Service Saturdays
- Community Outreach / Campus In-reach
- Advocacy & Awareness Programming
- One-off Service Events (MLK ITS, Haunted Halls Carnival, etc.)
- CSL Promotion (CSL Newsletter, social media, representation
at events, etc.)

20. - Marion-Polk Food Share
- Boys & Girls Club
- Salem Interfaith Hospitality Network
- State Capitol
- Salem Leadership Foundation
- Many others
Combines the opportunity to contribute community
service with the all-important benefits of an internship.
Can be credit-bearing and follow the experiential learning
model.

21. Capacity building for Salem Keizer Education
Foundation programs and related youth
mentorship opportunities:
 Two students
 Renewable position (up to 2.5 years)
 Will contribute research, outreach, capacity building, program
development, and academic service-learning support for the
Community Service Learning office
 Access to conferences and professional development
opportunities
 Learning outcomes: better hone their capacity, confidence, and
experience as leaders in the public service sector.

22. Cross-Cultural experience combined
with Service-Learning
(Fair Trade Learning is a great
example)

23. Questions?
Thank You!