Service Learning and Volunteer Outreach
Are you interested in developing a transformational relationship with Gateway? We invite you and your community organization to partner with Gateway on a service learning experience! Service learning combines community service with coursework and reflection. Not only does service learning help students get hands-on learning experience, but it can also significantly help you with your community project. Service learning partners are not tied to specific time commitments, and there are no costs associated with hosting or participating in a service learning experience. Planning for a service learning experience occurs one semester prior to the actual experience.
Service learning benefits community partners in the following ways:
- It can help you to further your mission and build your organizational capacity.
- It could encourage students to collaborate with you.
- Service learning can help students understand the issues facing your clients.
- It could also help to build, strengthen, and preserve your relationship with the Gateway community.
Examples of service learning:
- Students in Computer and Information Technologies, CIT 170 class, partnered with the Center for Great Neighborhoods to develop a database for their youth programs.
- Students in Nursing, NSG 213 and 230 classes, partnered with the the Welcome House on a community health fair.
Is service learning the same as volunteer outreach?
Service learning is very different from volunteer outreach. Volunteer experiences place emphasis on service (and not necessarily learning), and primarily benefit the community (and not necessarily the student). Service learning places equal emphasis on service and learning, and benefits the student and the community partner equally. Also, volunteer experiences differ from service learning experiences in that they are not directly related to coursework, and planning for a volunteer experience occurs at least one month prior to the actual experience. That said, we would be happy to encourage our students to support your volunteer outreach effort.
