Service Learning Resources for Chemistry Faculty
Explore this website for developing or improving a service learning program in chemistry.
Service learning is an educational program that integrates community service with classroom instruction to enhance learning, teach civic responsibility and strengthen communities. For the chemical sciences, service-learning projects can vary greatly depending on community needs and an instructor’s curriculum. Projects can include lead testing, water clean-up, or classroom assistance in an elementary school.
Students, instructors, schools and the community all benefit from service-learning programs. Students learn how to interact within the community and develop a sense of social responsibility. Faculty help build relationships between the school and surrounding community. And the community benefits from the contribution of young chemists.
Student Benefits
| Faculty/School Benefits
|
There are three sets of elements that are essential in any service-learning project:
(1) Partners, (2) Curricular Connections, and (3) Learning/Civic Goals for Students.
(1) Partners
- Students
- In addition to becoming actively engaged in a project, students can contribute to the development of their service activity and relevant course materials, encouraging sustained interest.
- Community Partners
- Community agencies are used to identify specific local needs. Both faculty and the community agency contribute strengths and assets to and benefit from the project. The most successful faculty/community partnerships establish clear methods for communication throughout the project and hold advanced discussions on specific activities, timeframe, and the role and supervision of students.
- Instructor/Staff
- Faculty manage and oversee all academic and administrative issues, integrating specific course learning objectives into a service project that benefits all involved.
(2) Curricular Connections
- Academic resources
- Materials such as a syllabus, textbooks, articles, laboratory procedures, and reports are effective resources for service learning courses.
- Relevant service
- Service to the community should provide a real-life application of one or more specific course-learning objectives.
- Critical reflection
- Reflection is what distinguishes service learning from volunteer work, as opportunities for contemplation, discussion, and communication about the service experience are given throughout the project.
- Assessment of student learning
- Formative and summative assessment instruments provide all partners with valuable feedback regarding the learning and service outcomes, and the possibility for improvement, continuity, and sustainability.
(3) Learning Goals
Students who participate in a service learning project are expected to achieve personal growth, a better understanding of community needs, and enhanced learning of traditional courses.
Students who participate in a service learning project are expected to achieve personal growth, a better understanding of community needs, and enhanced learning of traditional courses.
For a successful service-learning project, we recommend using the PARE Model:
•Preparation •Action •Reflection •Evaluation
| PARE Steps | What’s Involved? |
Preparation | To prepare a service learning project, faculty should:
|
Action | Student Actions:
|
Reflection | For the student, reflection should:
|
Evaluation | It is recommended that evaluation of a service-learning project:
|
Additional Recommendations for Faculty
- Start with a small project
- Maintain academic rigor
- Stress critical reflection
- Involve the community partner
- Provide class and/or lab time for the project
- Determine proper weight of the project in overall course grade and include it in the syllabus
- Assign grade/credit for learning, not for service
Community-Campus Partnerships for Health (CCPH)
CCPH is a nonprofit organization that promotes health (broadly defined) through partnerships between communities and higher education institutions. Their service-learning resources include a faculty toolkit, syllabus revision procedures, methods and strategies for assessing students, community partners and faculty.
Campus Compact
Campus Compact supports the practice of service-learning in higher education. Get resources, including syllabi from service-learning courses in various disciplines and information on how to apply for grants and funding.
International Partnership for Service Learning
The International Partnership for Service Learning offers programs for students to study abroad and perform community service in an international setting.
Learn and Serve America
Learn and Serve America is a national service grant program that funds service-learning programs in the United States. Learn about the projects they support and how to apply for a grant
Learning in Deed
Learning in Deed is a national initiative started by the W.K. Kellogg Foundation to increase student involvement in service-learning.
National Service Learning Clearinghouse
The National Service Learning Clearinghouse gathers and disseminates information on service-learning. Resources include self-assessment for service-learning and recent dissertations on service and service-learning.
Learn, Serve, and Surf
Learn, Serve, and Surf is an online resource kit for service-learning practitioners. It includes links to sites that will assist in the establishment and teaching of successful service-learning courses.
University of California Service Learning Research and Development Center
The University of California Berkeley Service-Learning Research and Development Center has many resources about the University’s well-established service-learning program as well as tools for creating and assessing your own program.
Service Learning Partnership
The Service Learning Partnership is a national network of members dedicated to advancing service-learning as a core part of every young person’s education. This site contains service learning tools, resources, best practices, and a national network of service learning supporters.
;void(0);){kind=link}