Service Learning

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 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)

Service Learning Project Request Form

Are you a service learning community partner with a specific idea for a service learning project?
Please use the following link: service learning project request form to complete the request form. Community Partner Coordinator, Lisette Rodriguez, will follow-up with you to discuss potential faculty and course(s) partnerships.

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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