Heal others and learn
All Colleges provide opportunities for students to help. When the service has a direct connection to the student’s program of study, we call that Service Learning. CollegeExpress explains that
“The distinctive element of service learning is that it enhances the community through the service provided, but it also has powerful learning consequences for the students or others participating in providing a service,” says the National Service-Learning Clearinghouse.
- CollegeExpress: Making a difference college
CollegeExpress: 20 public colleges for service learning
CollegeExpress: 20 private colleges for service learning
According to AACU, Service Learning is a high impact practice for colleges:
In these programs, field-based “experiential learning” with community partners is an instructional strategy—and often a required part of the course. The idea is to give students direct experience with issues they are studying in the curriculum and with ongoing efforts to analyze and solve problems in the community. A key element in these programs is the opportunity students have to both apply what they are learning in real-world settings and reflect in a classroom setting on their service experiences. These programs model the idea that giving something back to the community is an important college outcome, and that working with community partners is good preparation for citizenship, work, and life.
What does the research say?
“Do it!” Researchers in the Higher Education Research Institute at UCLA found students who participated in service learning demonstrated greater engagement in the classroom, an increased sense of personal identity, and a heightened awareness of the world around them. The data identified a positive impact on interpersonal skills (working with others, leadership, and communication), spiritual growth, and moral development.
Analysts at Vanderbilt University reviewed service learning research, finding both students and faculty members reported positive learning effects, such as strengthened critical thinking and problem analysis abilities. This is because service learning participation increases how often students discuss their experiences, intensifies how they learn from one another, and amplifies the emotional and analytical support from faculty members.
With especially strong service learning programs.
- Berea College Berea, KY
- Brown University Providence, RI
- Butler University Indianapolis, IN
- College of the Ozarks Point Lookout, MO
- Duke University Durham, NC
- Elon University Elon, NC
- Georgetown University Washington, DC
- James Madison University Harrisonburg, VA
- John Carroll University University Heights, OH
- Loyola University Maryland Baltimore, MD
- Michigan State University East Lansing, MI
- Northeastern University Boston, MA
- Portland State University Portland, OR
- Stanford University Stanford, CA
- Tulane University New Orleans, LA
- University of Michigan— Ann Arbor Ann Arbor, MI
- University of North Carolina— Chapel Hill Chapel Hill, NC
- University of Pennsylvania Philadelphia, PA
- Wagner College Staten Island, NY
- Warren Wilson College Asheville, NC
- Source: USNEWS
More Info
- Learn about service learning at Wikipedia.
- How Service Learning affects students by UCLA Higher Education Research
- Princeton Review: Colleges with most engaged students in service learning
- US NEWS: Service learning list
- Article from Brown University on Service Learning in Higher Education
- Best practices in Service learning
- National College Service Learning honor Roll.
Learn about service learning at Wikipedia.
How Service Learning affects students by UCLA Higher Education Research
With especially strong service learning programs.
Berea, KY
Providence, RI
Indianapolis, IN
Point Lookout, MO
Durham, NC
Elon, NC
Washington, DC
Harrisonburg, VA
University Heights, OH
Baltimore, MD
East Lansing, MI
Boston, MA
Portland, OR
Stanford, CA
New Orleans, LA
University of Michigan— Ann Arbor
Ann Arbor, MI
University of North Carolina— Chapel Hill
Chapel Hill, NC
Philadelphia, PA
Staten Island, NY
Asheville, NC
Source: USNEWS
Heal others and learn