Integrating Service-Learning is Easier than You Think!

Abstract

Are you interested in increasing student engagement as well as promoting social justice in your courses? If you have considered incorporating service-learning into one or more of your classes, but haven’t been sure about how to get started, join this session for inspiration and ideas about how to begin designing service-learning projects. Strategies will be shared about how to design projects that encourage students to become actively involved in the local community as well as how to create your own network of community partners. No matter what your content area is, there is always a way to have your students provide service, which not only reinforces the content and your course’s learning objectives but also benefits students by teaching them empathy, understanding, how to reduce bias, and provides them with an awareness of community issues. Academically, students benefit from service-learning through real-world application of the concepts and skills they are learning in their courses. Their experiences in the community build their resume as well as provide them with opportunities to network and open new doors of possibility. Come learn how to make a local, national, and even an international impact through incorporating service-learning into your pedagogy.