Learning through Service:
Community Service-Learning in Canada
An Overview of
Principles and Practices
Cheryl Rose – Executive Director
Canadian Association for Community Service-Learning
Presentation Overview

Defining community service-learning (CSL)

History of development in Canada

CSL in practice

Examples of Canadian programs

Making the case for CSL
Defining Community Service-Learning

Still evolving
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Various definitions and labels (service learning,
service-learning, community-based education)
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Encourages experimentation, discovery and local
adaptation
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Even within an evolving vocabulary, there exists a set
of common concepts and a generally accepted
approach
What is
Community Service-Learning?
Service-learning is a form of experiential education
where learning occurs through a cycle of action
and reflection as students work with others
through a process of applying what they are
learning to community problems and, at the same
time, reflecting upon their experience as they seek
to achieve real objectives for the community and
deeper understanding and skills for themselves.
Eyler & Giles, 1999
Key Elements from the Definition
Experiential Education – cycles of action and
reflection
 Working with Others – partnerships and
collaboration
 Community Problems – ASSETS, issues,
questions
 Objectives for the Community/Benefits to
Students – intentionally reciprocal in nature

Distinctions Among Service Programs
Recipient
Beneficiary
Provider
Focus
Learning
Service
SERVICE LEARNING
COMMUNITY SERVICE
VOLUNTEERISM
FIELD EDUCATION
INTERNSHIP
CSL in Practice
Principles of Good Practice for
Combining Service and Learning

An effective program engages people in responsible
and challenging actions for the common good.
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An effective program provides structured
opportunities for people to reflect critically on their
service.

An effective program articulates clear service and
learning goals for everyone involved.
Principles - continued

An effective program allows for those with needs to
define those needs.

An effective program clarifies the responsibilities of
each person and organization involved.

An effective program matches service providers and
service needs through a process that recognizes
changing circumstances.

An effective program expects genuine, active, and
sustained organizational commitment.
Principles - continued

An effective program includes training, supervision,
monitoring, support, recognition, and evaluation to
meet service and learning goals.

An effective program insures that the time commitment
for service and learning is flexible, appropriate, and in
the best interests of all involved.

An effective program is committed to program
participation by and with diverse populations.
Honnet, E.P., and S.J. Poulen. (1989)
CSL is NOT:
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An episodic volunteer program
An add-on to an existing school or college curriculum
Logging a set number of community service hours in
order to graduate
Compensatory service assigned as a form of
punishment by the courts or by school administrators
Only for high school or college students
One-sided: benefiting only students or only the
community
National Commission on Service-Learning (U.S.)
Historical Overview:
Important Milestones in Canada
• 1999 - St. Francis Xavier University, funded by
the J.W. McConnell Family Foundation to
expand their service-learning program: coursebased and co-curricular immersion
• 2001- first meeting of Canadian institutions of
higher learning who were practicing and/or
interested in service-learning; catalyst for a
grassroots network of professional Canadian
CSL colleagues
Canadian Overview: continued

2002 – meeting at the University of Guelph:
Edward Zlotkowski as invited speaker; a
national CSL listserv was established

2003 – meeting at the University of British
Columbia: Barbara Holland and Sherrill
Gellman as invited speakers; joined by Tony
Chambers from the U.S. National Forum on
Higher Education for the Public Good; formed
a steering committee with specific goals to
create an association to promote and support
CSL in Canada
Canadian Overview: continued

2004 – meeting at the University of Ottawa:
Joel Westheimer as invited speaker; the
Steering Committee presented, draft
documents regarding a name, vision, and
mission; met with federal funding bodies to
introduce the concept of community servicelearning

July 2004 – steering committee contacted by
the J.W. McConnell Foundation
Canadian Overview continued

September 2004 – McConnell announces its
national University-Based Community ServiceLearning Program

November 2004 – McConnell funds the
establishment of the Canadian Association for
Community Service-Learning

January 2005 – McConnell announces
successful recipients of funds through its
national University-Based CSL program
Canadian Association for
Community Service-Learning
OUR GOALS

PROMOTION of community service-learning
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EDUCATION and support for CSL practitioners
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NETWORKS – locally, regionally and nationally

RESEARCH on CSL in Canada
Canadian Association for Community
Service-Learning (CACSL)

Regional workshops across Canada for faculty, staff,
students and community organizations in Spring 2005
– generously funded by the McConnell Foundation
and an additional private Canadian foundation

Comprehensive research into CSL in Canada through
the creation of a CACSL Fellowship in June 2005,
funded by the Max Bell Foundation
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Discussing collaboration with the Society for Teaching
and Learning in Higher Education, on a joint national
conference to take place in 2006
CACSL

Ongoing exploration of funding to support CSL
programs, research and resource development –
proposal(s) to be presented in September 2005
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Creation of shared platform for collecting Canadian
data on outcomes of our university and college CSL
programs – to contribute to research and program
development – planned for launch in 2006
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Ongoing consultations in person, telephone, email
Steps: Partnerships and Design

Building partnership between university and community –
conversations about environments, goals, resources, assets,
needs and identifying potential
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Course or Program Design – integrating into existing
courses/programs and/or designing new offerings
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Service Placement Design – in collaboration with community
organizations to meet needs and build on strengths
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Evaluation Design – for each of the partners in CSL initiatives:
learning, development, service, teaching, partnerships
Community/Campus Partnerships
Necessary to Successful Partnerships:

Established infrastructure to support a CSL program
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Administrative buy-in and support at university
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History of town/gown relationship
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Trust and accountability
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Clear goals and expectations
Furco, 2004
Course Design
PRINCIPLES
 Academic credit is for learning, not for service
 Do not compromise academic rigor
 Set learning goals for students
 Establish base criteria for service placements
 Provide mechanisms to maximize learning from
service (experiential education models)
 Provide supports for students to learn “how to learn”
from their service experiences
 Move instructional role to one of facilitation and
guidance
 Maximize the community engagement orientation of
the course
Howard, 1993
Suggestions for Course Design

Relate the learning objectives of the service
component to the overall course objectives

Identify the partnerships and projects that could
facilitate the service-related objectives
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Consider how the partnerships/projects would benefit
the larger community

Identify best format for service component (e.g.,
mandatory, elective, short-term, long-term, extra
credit)
Course Design - continued
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Review traditional workload of course and make any
required adjustments to integrate service component
(learning that can be covered through the experience
that are currently covered in some other manner)
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Identify strategies to assist students to prepare for
service placements in community (e.g., ethics in
helping situations, experiential education models)
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Incorporate strategies for intentional reflection on
experience as related to course (e.g., journals, group
discussions, whether face to face or electronic,
presentations, papers)
Course Design - continued

Explore the integration of appropriate civic/social
issues (e.g., professional responsibility, discipline
specific contributions to public good, peace and justice
issues, diversity/stereotypes, public policy)
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From learning objectives, identify indicators and plan
assessment strategies
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Consider how your community partner could be of
educational assistance, and how they might be
compensated for the time and expertise they are able
to contribute.
Zlotkowski (handout)
Service-Placement Design

Consider both traditional and new opportunities to
involve support through service – be creative!

Staff or faculty member and organization staff work
together to design an appropriate service placement

Organization staff to provide orientation, ongoing
supervision, evaluation of benefits to community.

Consider opportunities that can be flexible to realities
of student schedules and course timeframes
Placement design - continued

Consider organization’s realities. (e.g., time, space,
supervisory capabilities, schedules, priorities)

Service placement should relate to the learning goals
of the course – all should be informed of these goals.

Accept that not all potential partnerships are good fits
– be open to exploring possibilities together and
assessing whether or not, considering various factors,
this would be a mutually beneficial partnership.
Evaluation

Meeting Community Needs (surveys, interviews, focus
groups)

Student Learning (journals, written assignments,
demonstrating theoretical and experiential integration)

Teaching Environment (course evaluations, faculty
surveys, identifying research opportunities)

Citizen Leadership Development (pre and post
surveys, leadership skills inventories, Social Change
Model of Leadership Development)
Some Programs Across Canada
University of British Columbia
THE LEARNING EXCHANGE
UBC: The Learning Exchange

The Learning Exchange Trek Program provides opportunities for
UBC students, staff and alumni to do community service in a
variety of schools, non-profit organizations, and community centers
in inner-city neighborhoods of Vancouver. The program gives
participants real-life experience in the community while raising their
awareness of health, social, economic and political issues.
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The Trek Program offers UBC’s human resources to community
organizations to enhance existing programs, as well as work
towards developing new ones.
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For information about the program email: trek.program@ubc.ca.
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http://www.learningexchange.ubc.ca/trek_program.html
Some Programs Across Canada
University of Guelph
PROJECT SERVE CANADA
Guelph: Project Serve Canada
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annual program in February, during Reading Week
enables students from the University of Guelph to
connect with peers from other Canadian universities
significantly serve in collaboratively designed four day
volunteer placements in one or more of our national
communities
integrated learning opportunities/reflection activities
raises awareness in the students on critical social
issues
encourages the development of a lifelong sense of
responsible citizenship
http://www.studentlife.uoguelph.ca/citizenleader/explor
e/projectserve.cfm
Some Programs Across Canada
TRENT CENTRE FOR COMMUNITY BASED EDUCATION
in collaboration with Trent University
Trent Centre for
Community Based Education

Community-Based Education Program
accepts and helps develop proposals from
community organizations in the region
 matches Trent University students with the
organizations to help meet those needs.
 research, planning or community development
projects, assist students to gain practical
experience in their field of study while helping
to solve current challenges in our community
 http://www.trentu.ca/tccbe/index.htm
Some Programs Across Canada
St. Francis Xavier University
COURSE BASED AND IMMERSION SERVICE-LEARNING
St. FX: Course Based CSL
Course Based CSL - Examples
 BIOL 252 Anatomy and Physiology II
 BSAD 322 Managerial Accounting II
 BSAD 457 Community Enterprise Development
 BSAD 492 Research Project for Majors
 HKIN 385 Adapted Physical Education
 HKIN 395 Physical Activity and Sport for

Individuals with Disabilities
 HKIN 426 Health Education
 HNU 362 Clinical Nutrition II
 HNU 455 Food Service: Management and
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Quantity Production
 HNU 493 Senior Thesis (Honours)
 IDS 305
Immersion Service Learning
St. FX: Immersion CSL
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involves faculty leading groups of students traveling during
Reading Week to communities such as inner-city settings or rural
areas in developing countries
faculty leaders and students participate in service projects
determined by a local partner agency
campus preparation involves readings, meetings and discussion
groups
cultural tours, presentations and discussions about community
efforts to meet social, health, educational and economic needs
students broaden their understanding, interpret their immediate
experiences and reflect upon the role of community organizations
in providing for the needs of the community members
upon return, students are required to present on their experiences
to the campus community
http://www.stfx.ca/academic/servicelearning/description/
Why Community Service-Learning?
Positive Outcomes of Note: Students

Improved academic performance, especially
writing skills
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Values development
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Career choice direction
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Commitment to service post-graduation
Why Community Service-Learning?
Positive Outcomes of Note: Faculty

Valuable relationships with community
partners
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New, more active pedagogy
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Generate new research opportunities
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Personal satisfaction in making a difference
Why Community Service-Learning?
Positive Outcomes of Note: Community Groups
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Receiving service not otherwise available
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Gained new insights into their own operations
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Saw themselves as educators
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Learned from students and valued their
relationships
Why Community Service-Learning?
Positive Outcomes of Note: Institution
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Developed role in community
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Capacity to attract funding
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Enhanced image and visibility in community
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Avenue for putting the institution’s Mission into
action
….and yet we wonder….
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Is CSL worth it?
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Does CSL actually work?
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Can CSL really reach those goals?

Why bother?
….the common good….
“ Service learning shifts attention away
from an exclusive preoccupation with
education as private gain and seeks to
balance that concern with a focus on the
common good.”
Edward Zlotkowski
….castles in the air…..
“If you have built castles in the air, your
work need not be lost; that is where they
should be. Now put the foundations
beneath them.”
Henry David Thoreau
…a foundation for the future….
“Community service learning has the potential to reengage students and academic institutions, in their
communities. An integrated national focus on
community service-learning will offer opportunities to
develop citizens and leaders in the generation of
young Canadians that is now coming of age. CSL can
not only help them to understand the depth and
breadth of critical social issues but develop a strong
commitment to work collaboratively, to recognize
community strengths and to solve community
problems.”
-from a working paper in progress by the
Canadian Association for Community Service-Learning
References
Eyler , J and Giles, Jr., D. Where’s the Learning in Service Learning?
San Francisco:Jossey-Bass:1999.
Furco, A., et al. Building Partnerships with College Campuses:
Community Perspectives. Council of Independent Colleges: 2004
Honnet, E.P., and S.J. Poulen. Principles of Good Practice for
Combining Service and Learning, a Wingspread Special Report.
Racine, WI: The Johnson Foundation, Inc: 1989.
Howard, J., Ed.Praxis I: A Faculty Casebook on Community Service.
Ann Arbor, MI. Office of Community Service Learning: 1993.
Jacoby, B. and Associates. Service-Learning in Higher Education:
Concepts and Practices. Jossey-Bass:1996.