Community Partner Resources
"Never doubt that a small group of thoughtful committed citizens can change the world;
indeed, it?s the only thing that ever has."
Margaret Mead
Community partners are integral to the success of our service learning students. Community
partners serve as co-educators who facilitate onsite learning and reflection for CSUCI
students, resulting in an integrative teaching approach that provides a foundation
for student learning.
By working with our community partners students are able to:
- connect and contribute to the community in which they live
- learn about the larger social, political and cultural structures within their community
- develop civic and social responsibility
- examine and challenge their value and belief systems
- build leadership skills and professional networks
Community Voices: A California Compact Study on Partnership
Community voices seeks to understand how campus-community partnerships can truly be mutually beneficial for all involved. The qualitative study helps to fill a significant gap in the literature while providing practical suggestions for higher education campuses and their partners to consider. To read the Executive Summary click here.
Community Partner Service Learning Guidebook
The Community Partner Service Learning Guidebook is designed to be a resource tool
for community partners involved with service learning faculty/courses.The resource
guide provides you with guidance on your role as a co-educator, designing a service
learning project, preparing students to serve at your organization, and facilitating
student reflection activities. Download a copy of the guidebook here (PDF, 299KB)
The Art of Reflection
Structured reflection is integral to service learning because it connects and reinforces
in-class work, course readings, and service learning experiences. It provides an opportunity
for students to think critically about service experiences, examine and challenge
personal values, beliefs, and opinions, while allowing students to ask questions,
share ideas and experiences, challenge current solutions to community issues and develop
plans to address community needs. Following are reflection websites and activities/resources.
Building Citizens: A Critical Reflection and Discussion Guide for Community Service
Participants, Margo Shea and Kevin Mattson, 1998. This guide is designed to help community service
programs incorporate a deliberative, civic dimension into their programs by guiding
participants in reflection that makes explicit connections between service and critical,
enlivened citizenship. To access the guide click here.
Facilitating Reflection: A Manual for Leaders and Educators offers insight to the importance of reflection in the classroom and includes ideas
for many reflection activities. To download a copy of the manual click here.
The National Service Learning Clearinghouse website includes general reflection links offering ideas, activities and manuals as well as reflection links geared towards specific areas of learning. To view a list of the reflection articles click here.
FOR MOR REFLECTION IDEAS CLICK HERE!
Frequently Asked Questions
For answers to frequently asked questions about service learning click here.
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