How is service learning different from practicum/internship experiences or volunteering?
The goal of an internship/practicum is to provide students a practical work experience in a field of interest to them. Volunteer opportunities are generally unpaid positions with a local non-profit community agency, where students work because they find the mission of the organization interesting or important. The primary focus of service learning is to provide a deeper understanding of academic course content studied in a particular class through community service. Does service learning fit into all courses? While service learning is not right for every course, it’s surprising how many disciplines are represented in the growing list of service learning success stories. Start by considering some of the projects you already include in your course. Could one of those be turned into a service learning opportunity? Think of the skills you want your students to learn. Could they develop those skills by working on a project that benefits the community?
