Lots of Moving Parts: Is Service-Learning Sustainable in a College Classroom?

Authors

Jessica Skolnikoff, Roger Williams UniversityFollow
Robert Engvall, Roger Williams UniversityFollow
KC Ferrara, Roger Williams UniversityFollow

Document Type

Article

Publication Date

2010

Comments

Published in: Currents in Teaching and Learning, Vol. 3, No. 1, Fall 2010.

Abstract

Engagement in the immediate community has long been a stated goal of most colleges and universities. Grand university mission statements (including our own) often convey a “commitment to community service.” While our rhetoric is lofty, how do we actually commit ourselves to pursuing this objective? How might we truly “engage” a community of scholars with the larger community? Is “true” service-learning sustainable in a college classroom? This paper addresses one method of engagement that exists on our campus: one section of the Core Curriculum “Human Behavior in Perspective,” has been transformed into a service-learning course. This course integrates the model of service-learning into the educational curriculum. In practical terms, this course provides interaction between college students and residents of a Rhode Island Women’s Shelter.

Recommended Citation

Skolnikoff, Jessica, Robert Engvall, and KC Ferrara. 2010. "Lots of Moving Parts: Is Service Learning Sustainable in a College Classroom?" Currents in Teaching and Learning 3 (1).