This document provides an overview of service learning. It defines service learning and differentiates it from similar terms like volunteerism and community service. The key aspects of service learning are that it integrates community service with academic learning, is mutually beneficial to both the student and community, and includes structured reflection. Benefits include improved academic performance and developing skills like leadership. Critical elements are including community voice, orientation, meaningful action, reflection, and evaluation. Examples are provided of how to enhance existing volunteer projects into service learning projects. Upcoming service opportunities at GVSU are outlined.

1. Service Learning 101 Shannon Healy CSLC Interns Community Service Learning Center

2. What brings you here today? What do you want to get out of this seminar? What organizations do you represent? What’s your personal role with service?

3. Overview Definitions and Differences Characteristics Benefits The 5 Critical Elements Enhancing Your Projects Activity The CSLC/Wrap-up

4. What’s in a Name? Volunteerism Service-Learning Academic and co-curricular Community Service Philanthropy Experiential Education Civic Engagement

5. Service Learning Definition (1) From the National Commission on Service-Learning: “… a teaching and learning approach that integrates community service with academic study to enrich learning, teach civic responsibility, and strengthen communities.”

6. Service Learning Definition (2) From the Corporation for National and Community Service: “Service learning…” Promotes learning through active participation Provides structured time for students to reflect Provides opportunities to use skills and knowledge in real-life situations Extends learning beyond the classroom Fosters a sense of caring for others

7. Service Learning Is Not… An episodic volunteer program An add-on to an existing school or college curriculum Completing minimum service hours in order to graduate Service assigned as a form of punishment Only for high school or college students One sided; doesn’t benefit only the student or only the community

8. Relationship Between Terms Civic Engagement Volunteerism Service Experiential Learning Education Community Philanthropy Service

9. A Balanced Approach Focus Learning Service Primary Intended Beneficiary Recipient Provider Service-Learning Community Service Field Education Volunteerism Internships

10. It’s Not Just Academic! Service learning can also be organized and offered by community organizations with learning objectives and structured reflection for their participants

11. The Spectrum of Service Experiences coordinated by the CSLC can help you develop through this continuum.

12. Take inventory Where do you think the average GVSU student falls in the spectrum? Where do you fall in this spectrum? Where do most of the members of your organization fall? How do we become active citizens?.....

13. Example of Community Service Students remove trash from a stream bed They are providing a service to the community as volunteers

14. Example of Service Learning Students remove trash from a stream bed Analyze what they found Share the results with the neighboring community and offer suggestions on how to reduce pollution Then reflect on their experience That’s service learning!

15. Common Characteristics Positive, meaningful, and real to the participants Cooperative rather than competitive Promotes teamwork and citizenship Working with real problems in real-world settings rather than simplified problems in a textbook or generalized issues Identifying the most important issues within a real-world situation through critical thinking Promotes deeper learning – there are no “right answers” in the back of the book Has an impact on the student and the community

16. Even More Added Benefits! National studies suggest that students in effective service learning programs: Improve their academic grades Have increased attendance in school Develop personal and social responsibility Improve character Engaged students also learn Positive values, leadership, and citizenship Job skills and how to prepare for careers after college

17. Critical Elements of Service Learning Community Voice Orientation and Training Meaningful Action Reflection Evaluation

18. Each organization/community has a unique voice and needs These should be included in the development of any service learning project It’s a collaboration – Talk with them! Community Voice

19. Responsibilities What community is it in? Which organization? Who do they serve? What is the issue? What difficult situations might arise? How do you address those? Group/Team Building Orientation and Training

20. Necessary and valuable Are both sides involved and committed? Is the project engaging? Challenging? Meaningful? Meaningful Action

21. What? As a participant, what did you do? See? Feel? Initial observations on the project So what? Why was this important? What have you learned? How has your view changed? Now what? What do you do next? How to take this understanding and continue!

22. What’s the impact? You – learning experiences Agency – effectiveness Community – needs met How can we improve/grow/change? Evaluation

23. What are you already doing? Examples of service projects you currently take part in? Adopt-a-Highway Strike Out Arthritis Bowl for Kids No ideas yet? How can you get started?

24. How can you enhance that? With all these definitions and elements you just learned – how can you apply those? Not everything can or should be turned in to service learning. Barriers: Time, resources, etc… Baby Steps!

27. Who they are What they do Where you can find them When opportunities are Why you should get involved The CSLC

28. Upcoming Opportunities - Fall Into the Streets 2 Fridays each month 1:00 p.m.- 5:00 p.m. Travel time includes travel to and from sites Alternative Breaks Info Night 10/6/09 9:00 p.m.- 11:00p.m Grand River Room, Kirkhof Center Make a DifferenceDay 10/24/09 Pew Campus 8:30 a.m. Pew Campus First Year Service Experience 11/20- 11/21/09 location TBA

29. Winter 2010 Opportunities Into the Streets 2 Fridays each month 1:00 p.m.- 5:00 p.m. Time includes travel to and from sites MLK Day of Service 1/16/10 Volunteer and Internship Fair 1/28/10 11:00 a.m. - 3:00 p.m. Henry Hall Service and Advocacy Week 2/22/10 - 2/26/10 Community Outreach Week 3/29/10 - 4/2/10

30. Questions?

31. Contact Us Community Service Learning Center 1110B Kirkhof Center 331-2468 www.gvsu.edu/service service@gvsu.edu