Service Learning has numerous benefits for faculty members. Not only can Service Learning enhance the effectiveness of your teaching, but it can also provide you with new opportunities.
- Discover new and effective teaching resources and methods
- Engage and motivate students with participation and reflection activities
- Connect the course content with student participation in the community
Service Learning can also advance your efforts in
- Collaboration
- Research
- Scholarship opportunities
- Opportunities for recognition and reward
- Opportunity for tenure/retention
Service Learning enriches the learning experience of the student. Student benefits include:
- Learning experiences outside of the classroom
- New job skills such as critical thinking and working with diverse populations
- Applying academic knowledge and course content to “real life” situations
- Developing a sense of community and civic responsibility
Service Learning projects take place in the community. Benefits for the community include:
- Providing the local community with hundreds of hours of student service per quarter
- Students and community members teaming up to work towards a common goal
- Alleviating local issues in the community
- Raising awareness of topics of concern in the community
Service Learning provides benefits for the university as well. University benefits include:
- Fulfillment Cal Poly’s mission and goals, including our “Learn by Doing” motto
- Bridging the gap between the university and the community
- Providing opportunities for the university to get involved in meeting community needs
- Overall strengthening of university/community relations
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