Is civic engagement service-learning?
It can be. The Pew Charitable Trust explains that civic engagement is the broader motif, encompassing service-learning but not limited to it. Service-learning, according to Jacoby (1996), is a form of experiential education in which students engage in activities that address human and community needs together with structured opportunities intentionally designed to promote student learning and development. Clearly, these definitions intersect with the definition of civic engagement in that all are community focused, and all promote student learning and development. Still, service-learning and civic engagement are not the same thing because not all service-learning has a civic dimension and not all civic engagement is service-learning (Pew Charitable Trust). Gearan (2005) conceptualizes service-learning as involving community work that is built into the curriculum, while civic engagement may not incorporate direct service. However, service-learning is often a fundamental part of the civi
