Service Learning

Faculty

“Service Learning is a wonderful opportunity for students to bridge what they are learning through the classroom environment with how the social world in which they live operates.  Proving spaces within classrooms to facilitate service learning aids students in developing their own critical awareness of teaching and learning practices, self-reflect upon their own status as insiders/outsiders to the educational experience, and to connect their own knowledge with the practice of community involvement and enacting social change.”

Jennifer Brayton, Assistant Professor, Sociology

Service Learning is one strategy that faculty can use to enhance student learning.  Service in the community along with critical reflection help students make linkages between theory and practice, enhance their critical thinking skills, strengthen their  ability to use different levels of thought (description, analysis, integration, application), and develop foundational skills for inquiry and observational research. 

Faculty tell us that Service Learning enhances their teaching experiences and interactions with students, and that they are see an increase in the quality of students’ learning and engagement with course materials.

Integrating Service Learning in a course requires additional work.  The Faculty of Arts Student Experience team is here to help you.  We offer a range of services and resources.

• Brainstorm how service learning could fit in courses.
• Identify potential projects and build relationships with community partners.
• Support to adapt course outlines and assignments.
• Skill development opportunities for faculty and GA/TAs through consultations, workshops, and sharing circles.
• Tools, trainings, and resources to orient students and enhance their skills for observation, inquiry, critical reflection, among others.
• Access to an on-line learning community for students, featuring relevant news stories, community reports, and tools for social change, as well as space for reflection and dialogue.
• Provide journals, books, and resources on Service Learning. 
• Provide in-class support with project planning and guest speakers.

Service Learning Projects are eligible for the Experiential Learning Initiatives Grant