Establishing, Maintaining, and Building Relationships with Community Partners in
International Service-Learning
Introduction: Community partnerships are an essential component of off-campus programs including international servicelearning. Inclusion of community voice in program development has been widely recognized as a best practice in ISL (sources).
Despite the seemingly universal agreement concerning the importance of community involvement and direction, the term
“community” exists abstractly in ISL theory and literature. Who is the community? Where are the boundaries drawn? Whose
voices from the community are heard? Can community organizations substitute effectively function as community
representatives?
In the general context of service-learning easy answers to these questions are hard to come by, yet the waters become
muddier as the conversation enter the context of ISL. The distinctive backdrop of culture, language, environment, history, and
societal structures uniquely shaping each program confuses any attempt to universally apply foundational principles and best
practices. ISL programs function spatially removed from the college and Service-learning center, evolving throughout time to
adapt to the program’s specific location and features. While there is no mechanical formula to produce sustainable
relationships with community partners and ensure “community” inclusion, Elizabeth Tryon, Amy Hilgendorf, and Ian Scott,
offer beneficial insights for establishing sustainable partnerships from the perspective of community partners. The outline
below illustrates the fundamental aspects of their chapter “The Heart of Partnership: Communication and Relationships”
found in the book The Unheard Voices: Community Organizations and Service Learning.
Understanding: Goal of Understanding is for all stakeholders to understand “who we are and what we do.”
1. The Mission and Programs of the Community Partner
a. Browse website, read through a brochure, or talk to staff to understand mission, history, and goals of
organization.
b. Request a site visit to see potential tasks given to students
2. The Mission and Course Goals of Off-Campus Program
a. Ensure Organization and Students clearly understand the mission of the program in general and the specific
goals of the ISL course
b. Clearly identify program stakeholders and contact points
3. Placement Expectations
a. Ensure Organization and Students clearly understand student role in the organization, supervisor
responsibilities, and course requirements.
b. Bring in resources such as student résumés and course syllabi to meetings with community partners
c. Orientation should be provided for students in class by the professor and at the placement site by the
community partner
Communication: Communication is the “overall indicator of the health of the [partnership] and operative functioning of the
[ISLcourse]”. Observe diagram below illustrating the triangle of communication between CP’s, Faculty, and students.
Community Partner:
When to Communicate:
Before
 Establish Partnership: Discuss
Goals and Expectations
During
 Maintain Partnership: Problem
Solving and Encouragement
After:
 Improving Partnership:
Evaluate Placement
Methods of Communication
Triangle
of
Communication







Face to Face Meeting
Phone Call
Email
Texting
CP Class Visit/Student
Presentations
Faculty Placement Visit
Roundtable Discussion
BRIDGE
Placement Student or Students
Faculty Member:
Tryon, E., Hilgendorf, A., & Scott, I. (2009). The Heart of Partnership: Communication and Relationships. In R. Stoecker & E. Tryon (Eds.), The Unheard Voices: Community
Organizations and Service Learning (pp. 96-115). Philadelphia, PA: Temple University Press.