Service-Learning Foundations and Practices Jen Gilbride-Brown, Ph.D The Ohio State University Annie Mae Young, Quilts of Gee’s Bend, ca. 1975 Setting the Context Service-learning in the larger, civic engagement context So what is “it” anyway Partnership at the foundation Civic Engagement has grown as part of a larger story about higher education’s response to calls for relevance and questions about civic purposes. Four milestones in last 30 years ~ Hollander, E & Meeropol, J. (2006) • Mid to late 1980’s: “Era of Student Volunteerism” • Early 1990’s: “Rise of Service-Learning • Late 1990’s: “Birth of ‘the Engaged Campus’” • 2000’s: “Rapid Expansion of the Idea of ‘Engaged Campus' 1988: 225 Compact Members & 3 State 1992: 52% Compact Offices campuses offer credit for service related to course 1997: 80% Compact campuses offering service-learning 2006: 91% 2002: 28 State Compact Compact Offices campuses offering servicelearning 2008: 34 State Compact Offices Are we there yet? Not quite! • Exclusive focus exists on “schooling and the classroom” to engage young people in democracy and public life. • Conflates two distinct things: “education” and “schooling” Education cannot be limited to the activity of “schooling.” An Ecology of Education Ecology • Ongoing & continual relationship • Interdependence • Interconnection An Ecology of Education Power in an ecological perspective on education: From scarcity to abundance A Learning Web ? Who else educates? ? ? ? ? A Learning Web ? ? What if your educational institution is NOT at the center? ? ? Subject or issue ? ? ? ? Your Learning Web Where is your course or project? ? ? ? ? Subject or issue ? ? ? ? Let’s play with the “learning web” How to connect education with civic life What is service-learning? Service-learning is a form of experiential education characterized by all of the following: student participation in an organized service activity participation in service activities connected to specific learning outcomes participation in service activities that meet identified community needs structured time for student reflection and connection of the service experience to learning (Abes, Jackson & Jones, 2002) Where is service-learning? Beneficiary Recipient Provider Focus Service Learning Service-Learning Community Service Volunteerism Field Education Internship Furco, A. 1996. Service-Learning: A balanced approach to experimental education. In B. Taylor, (Ed.) Expanding Boundaries: Service and Learning. Corporation for National and Community Service. Key Themes in Service-Learning Collaboration with the community (reciprocity) Importance of reflection Active learning (meaningful work) Development of a sense of caring Promotion of a sense of civic responsibility Ameliorate societal problems (O’Grady, 2000) Strengths of Service-Learning Models good practice with emphasis on collaboration, reciprocity, commitment Promotes reflective thinking Increases self-knowledge, cognitive complexity, knowledge of diverse others and communities Deepens commitments to the “common good” which seek a more just, equitable world An “Asset” approach, is critical to community partnerships. Our language informs what we know and believe to be possible- our orientation to the world and to the work. Good Neighborhood / Bad Neighborhood Good Neighborhood: What do you see? Bad Neighborhood: What do you see? Good Neighborhood/ Bad Neighborhood Good Neighborhood: What do you see? Bad Neighborhood: What do you see? Not the WHOLE story! A FOCUS on the ASSETS of the partners in service-learning works AGAINST the power of misinformation and negative stereotypes that undermine relationships. Reciprocity as the goal “…what affects me affects the wider community, and what affects the wider community affects me. The consequences are indistinguishable.” ~J. Saltmarsh (1998) Challenge of reciprocity “…Those who do community service at colleges and universities, on the other hand, are generally young people who have more advantages than those they are serving.” ~ Nieto, 2000 Begins and ends with the community… “Ruth Ann”