Guidelines for Incorporating Service Learning

Guidelines for Incorporating Service Learning

Into Course Curriculum

(Nina Truch - June 2009)

Factors to Consider for Service Learning:

1) Purpose of course objectives

a. Integrating service learning to achieve course objectives

b. Making an argument as to why service learning achieves course objectives.

1. Students need a clear explanation.

2. Many course objectives can blend into service learning.

a. Skills tested and practiced that students have been learned in the major curriculum.

1. Something built, designed, or presented to a potential client.

b. Acquiring a new skill set by interacting with population.

c. Practice a skill set being learned in the classroom, so that they can see the relevance immediately.

3. Course objectives and assignments should integrate service learning.

a. Give points for service hours completed.

b. Have students write reflections about the experience.

1. Consider documenting progress over the quarter. Multiple reflections (pre/post)

c. Major projects can serve as a focal point for class/course.

d. Have students design and run a fund-raiser for a non-profit agency.

e. Place historical perspective on the plight of a given nonprofit agency and/or the clients it serves.

1. Projects focusing on homelessness, early educational intervention.

2. Environmental impacts that various projects can have on SLO county water/parks/public open space.

3. Designing programs that can be implemented in schools (before/after school care-recycling, gardening, reading readiness, healthy eating, active lifestyles, green living)

c. Volunteerism vs. Service Learning

1. Volunteering equates to students completing hours.

2. Service learning incorporates learning objectives from the course with the volunteer hours. Based on what you want them to learn, how can they learn it from the clients/location that they have selected or you placed them in?

a. Building a clear connection will result in a remarkably rewarding experience for all involved.

2) Finding Clients

a. Based on learning objectives, seek out clients that potentially match your objectives.

1. Places to start: Mission statements of the possible organizations that you are interested in.

2. Talking with other service-learning professors on campus.

a. Attend presentations given by faculty or students that are actively engaged in service learning.

3. Speaking to agencies directly.

4. Discussing service-learning opportunities with professionals in town (currently working and retired).

5. The Student, Life and Leadership office has the names and phone numbers of many not-for-profit agencies locally.

a. They are the office to contact to have release forms signed and obtain timesheets from as well.

a. There will be successes and failures, so don’t panic.

b. Making contact.

1. Make initial contact to determine if you want your students working with the client.

a. Developing a relationship with the client is a must. Professors should make contact in advance of a service-learning project so that the learning objectives are clearly stated by the professor for the client.

b. Provide client with a brief 1-2 page summary of your learning objectives for the students. A reminder mid-way through the quarter might be necessary.

2. Consider the location of the client and

your students.

a. Transportation will be a factor.

b. Consider how much freedom/direction students will need.

3. Cal Poly places graduated Poly students to serve as a one-year liaison between some local agencies and Cal Poly volunteers. (I believe the name of the grant is Americorps and all Poly students are eligible to apply.)

c. Clients can be for-profit or not-for-profit agencies.

1. Non-profit agencies receive grant money based on number of volunteer hours. As volunteer hours go up, so too does the grant money they receive. (1 volunteer hour in CA equals about $21 in funding).

1. Cal Poly students have given the equivalent of millions of dollars back to this community last year based on the number of volunteer hours that they completed.

d. Impact on students.

1. Will the students work directly with the client? The stake- holders? The general population?

a. Anonymity for the stake-holders is a factor with some clients. (If direct contact with stake-holders is a desire, investigate the likelihood of that occurring. In some cases, students won’t have direct contact whereby your learning objective is lost.)

b. Location site might change. Find out if that is a possibility prior to the start of the project.

3. Professionalism is a MUST!

a. Develop your expected criteria for the students.

1. Remind students again and again of it.

2. At different points in the quarter, discuss topics that are potentially important at critical points in the project.

a. Proper attire for the location.

b. Timeline for completion.

c. Contingency plans

4. Keep safety in mind at ALL times.

a. Engage students in conversation about the potential risks of the project. Consider both physical and psychological safety of your students.

e. Considerations over the quarter.

1. Agencies have training sessions.

a. Most agencies have some sort of training that is required prior to the student volunteering.

1. Know the specifics and have it scheduled prior to the start of the quarter. If it works out, have the agency do the training during a class session.

2. Some agencies require fingerprints and background checks. This may not work for a quarter long course.

2. Teams vs. individual projects.

a. Have team meetings so that you can check in on their progress, and have an idea of how they are working together.

b. Depending on the project, team meetings can be brief or last quite awhile. Determine how much information you need to keep the project on-task.

1. Remember, if it is a course objective, then class time is well spent discussing the project.

c. Team interventions may be necessary to conduct.

d. For safety reasons, and observation purposes, have people complete volunteer hours in dyads or triads.

1. Large groups may overwhelm some non-profit agencies and their stake-holders. Pay attention to that detail.

e. Once students enter the client site, they will have been impacted in some way. Consider reflections prior to their first visit. By so doing, they can look back over the quarter on the impact of the client, stake-holders, and site.

f. As a faculty member, be certain that you know the specifications of the project that the students will complete and the students have the necessary funding and time to complete their project.

f. Ending the Quarter-Exiting the Site.

1. Have a celebration for the accomplishments of the students.

2. Have the students clearly define when the project is finished. It’s too easy to leave loose ends and expect others to complete it.

a. Giving an incomplete is one way to ensure they finish it.

3. Final thoughts and reflections on service learning objectives and course objectives.

This is by no means comprehensive, but it is a start. Hopefully, it will entice those interested in service learning with ideas on how to start and issues to consider in the process.

The experience can be rich and rewarding for all involved, so give it a try one quarter and see if it works for you.

If you have any questions about service learning opportunities, contact Center for Community Engagement.

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