Service learning
Charity Yellowhair-Gilbert
Issue date: 11/25/09 Section: Campus
Ever thought of spending at least part of your free time helping the community? Service learning is the class for you.
According to the National Youth Leadership Council, the definition of service learning is applying your academic skills to resolve real-world issues and then involving learning objectives with the genuine needs of the community. For an example, students' will be creating relationships with non-profit organizations and applying critical thinking and problem-solving skills to help fulfill the organizations needs.
There are many community partners to choose from. The Thayne Center Service-Learning of Salt Lake Community College has a list of non-profit organizations listed on their website. You can check it out at thaynecenter.slpro.net. Students' can find the group they are most intrigued with on the website. The main purpose is to always have the mentality of serving others as well as finding some sort of solution for the organization's problem. When choosing your partner, remember to identify the organization's needs as you will be volunteering with them and helping them for only a short amount of time. You are required to do ten to twenty hours, but you aren't limited to only that amount of time. The volunteer hours will be completed during the time of the semester.
There are many ways to fulfill your hours. Once the partner is chosen, you can provide direct or indirect service, advocacy work, or research and consultation. When you provide direct service, you are working directly with the clients at the organizations location. It could be feeding the homeless, day care at the YWCA, or a guide at the local aquarium. Indirect service could be classified as planning a charity walk or benefit concert. You are still helping your community partner, but fulfilling their needs in a different way other than directly working with clients. Advocacy work is the act of pleading or arguing in favor of something such as a cause, idea, or policy. This type of work is usually presented in a political sense. Last but not least, research and consultation involves studying an issue that is impacting the community organization you are working with and presenting the knowledge in a way that is beneficial to the organization.
"Service learning is an exciting educational movement gaining momentum in American institutions of higher education, which encourages authentic civic engagement by re-shaping students' awareness and roles engaging students' in their communities," says Elizabeth Montague, Associate Professor.
In addition to serving the community, you are also fulfilling your academic classes. You may be busy with classes already and not have time to volunteer anywhere you choose, but being enrolled in a service learning class gives you a chance to be engaged with the community. Most of your assignments will be centered on the organization.
This coming semester, consider enrolling in a service learning class. When registering for classes on the right side of the class title where it is usually listed as a lecture, it will say service learning. Develop an ability to help others while also attending school.
According to the National Youth Leadership Council, the definition of service learning is applying your academic skills to resolve real-world issues and then involving learning objectives with the genuine needs of the community. For an example, students' will be creating relationships with non-profit organizations and applying critical thinking and problem-solving skills to help fulfill the organizations needs.
There are many community partners to choose from. The Thayne Center Service-Learning of Salt Lake Community College has a list of non-profit organizations listed on their website. You can check it out at thaynecenter.slpro.net. Students' can find the group they are most intrigued with on the website. The main purpose is to always have the mentality of serving others as well as finding some sort of solution for the organization's problem. When choosing your partner, remember to identify the organization's needs as you will be volunteering with them and helping them for only a short amount of time. You are required to do ten to twenty hours, but you aren't limited to only that amount of time. The volunteer hours will be completed during the time of the semester.
There are many ways to fulfill your hours. Once the partner is chosen, you can provide direct or indirect service, advocacy work, or research and consultation. When you provide direct service, you are working directly with the clients at the organizations location. It could be feeding the homeless, day care at the YWCA, or a guide at the local aquarium. Indirect service could be classified as planning a charity walk or benefit concert. You are still helping your community partner, but fulfilling their needs in a different way other than directly working with clients. Advocacy work is the act of pleading or arguing in favor of something such as a cause, idea, or policy. This type of work is usually presented in a political sense. Last but not least, research and consultation involves studying an issue that is impacting the community organization you are working with and presenting the knowledge in a way that is beneficial to the organization.
"Service learning is an exciting educational movement gaining momentum in American institutions of higher education, which encourages authentic civic engagement by re-shaping students' awareness and roles engaging students' in their communities," says Elizabeth Montague, Associate Professor.
In addition to serving the community, you are also fulfilling your academic classes. You may be busy with classes already and not have time to volunteer anywhere you choose, but being enrolled in a service learning class gives you a chance to be engaged with the community. Most of your assignments will be centered on the organization.
This coming semester, consider enrolling in a service learning class. When registering for classes on the right side of the class title where it is usually listed as a lecture, it will say service learning. Develop an ability to help others while also attending school.
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