Service Learning has a positive impact on students, community and the university.
Students:
- engage in self-directed active learning,
- use critical thinking and problem solving skills,
- broaden personal awareness of community and community organizations,
- increase their understanding of community development,
- contribute to the community.
- develop reflection skills on issues of social responsibility and,
- explore career options.
Community benefits:
- Fosters collaboration between university and community.
- Extends campus academic and human resources into the community.
- Raises the profile of community groups.
- Adds student perspectives to the delivery of social programs.
- Increases the potential for more knowledgeable future employees.
- Brings energy and enthusiasm to existing programming.
University benefits:
- Encourages innovation in teaching practices.
- Enriches the teaching and learning process.
- Brings an added dimension to classroom discussion.
- Provides diversity of learning opportunities for students.
- Communities serve as an alternative learning setting.
- Provides an avenue to university-community research partnerships.
- Strengthens community-university relations.