The Basics of Service Learning —
Finding a Partner:
- You can find one on your own
- Choose one from our list of 50+ community partners: Resource Booklet File 3
- Highlighted on campus opportunity: On Campus Service
- Contact Wright’s Service Learning Coordinator for suggestions: Merry Mayer, mmayer2@ccc.edu
The Two Components that make up a Service Learning Course:
- Service of some kind that is related to your course content; and
- Reflection on the service, which can be through a journal, writing assignment or presentation where the student connects classroom ideas to the experience she or he had in the community.
Types of Service Learning
Direct Service – What most people think of when they think of “service” or “volunteering”, involves person-to-person activities. Example: tutoring young children.
Indirect Service – Activities where students do not interact directly with recipients. Examples: stocking a food pantry, creating a newsletter for a senior center, or cleaning up a playground.
Advocacy- Activities to create awareness of a problem in the community. Examples: sponsoring a town meeting, designing posters, putting on a play that draws attention to the issue.
Research – Activities in which students collect data or do research and report on information in the public interest. Example: completing an energy audit of your college and then suggesting ways to reduce energy usage.
(Kaye, 2010)
Once You Decide to Incorporate Service Learning
- If your project is required of all students, please request that a “6” be added to your course’s section code, this will designate it as a service learning course.
- Send an email to Wright’s Service Learning Coordinator (mmayer2@ccc.edu) requesting that your course be added to the Service Learning Course List. Please provide section number and if service will be mandatory or voluntary.
- Once you are on the service learning faculty list, you will be sent the required Service Learning Release Form, pre- and post-service student surveys, as well as faculty and partner surveys so that Wright may in general assess service learning student outcomes. You can also find copies of these forms here:
- Administer the surveys and forms as requested and return to the Service Learning Coordinator’s mailbox.
- Near the end of the semester, send any names of students who successfully completed your service learning project to the Service Learning Coordinator and you will be provided with individual certificates of achievement for you to give to your students.
CONTACT: Merry Mayer, Wright’s Service Learning Coordinator, can be reached at mmayer2@ccc.edu or in L-246.
WANT TO KNOW MORE? The Wright Coordinator has a library of service learning books that you can borrow. Additionally, the following PowerPoint slide presentations may be helpful: