What is Service Learning?

By Dr. Seth Pollack, Associate ProfessorBy Dr. Seth Pollack, Associate Professor

Service Learning InstituteService Learning Institute

CSU Monterey BayCSU Monterey Bay

& Debbie Klein, Professor of Anthropology& Debbie Klein, Professor of Anthropology

Gavilan CollegeGavilan College

what is service learning? A form of A form of experiential learningexperiential learning A way for students to learn about issues of A way for students to learn about issues of

serviceservice, , social responsibilitysocial responsibility, and , and social social justice.justice.

A way to provide A way to provide meaningful servicemeaningful service to the to the community.community.

A vehicle to facilitate A vehicle to facilitate dialoguedialogue, , interactioninteraction and and partnershippartnership between the campus and between the campus and the communitythe community

Reframing courses with a Social Justice Meta-Question

Examples

MUSEUM STUDIES: From building exhibits for MUSEUM STUDIES: From building exhibits for museums to… museums to… How do we as a community How do we as a community determine what is valued and deemed worthy of determine what is valued and deemed worthy of being collected?being collected?

COMPUTER SCIENCE: From wiring schools for COMPUTER SCIENCE: From wiring schools for the internet the internet to…How does the “digital divide” to…How does the “digital divide” accentuate historic inequities?accentuate historic inequities?

ENVIRONMENTAL SCIENCE: From creating ENVIRONMENTAL SCIENCE: From creating interpretive materials for parks to… interpretive materials for parks to… Who has Who has access to state parks and open space?access to state parks and open space?

ANTH3: Introduction to Cultural Anthropology

From: a cross-cultural and comparative From: a cross-cultural and comparative study of diverse culturesstudy of diverse cultures

To: how do we work for justice in a multi-To: how do we work for justice in a multi-cultural world in which people have cultural world in which people have different levels of access to power and different levels of access to power and resources?resources?

Brief history of Service Learning• Era I: The “Contra-Curricular” Era(1960s and 1970s)

•Era II: Era of Curricular-Integration (1985-2000)

•Era III: Service Learning & “Civic Engagement” Era (2000 – Current)

Higher Education’sService Mission

3 part mission: teaching, research and 3 part mission: teaching, research and serviceservice What the heck is service?What the heck is service?

Liberal Arts Colleges: service is training Liberal Arts Colleges: service is training “citizens” for public life“citizens” for public life

Research Universities: service is developing Research Universities: service is developing and applying knowledgeand applying knowledge

Community Colleges: service is access to Community Colleges: service is access to education. education.

Name that year…

““Action, man, action –student action, without Action, man, action –student action, without the confinements of the curriculum and the the confinements of the curriculum and the classroom, against which rebellion is classroom, against which rebellion is overdue. Self-determination, self-reliance, overdue. Self-determination, self-reliance, self-imagination, self-ingenuity, self-self-imagination, self-ingenuity, self-responsibility, self-etc. …”responsibility, self-etc. …”

• Anonymous faculty speaking on the merits of service-learning, North Carolina Internship Office, 1972.

Name that president and year…

““In this time of social and political restlessness, far-In this time of social and political restlessness, far-reaching impatience with old modes, and deep reaching impatience with old modes, and deep questioning of national goals, a university would questioning of national goals, a university would be unworthy of its name if it were not, as an be unworthy of its name if it were not, as an academic society, reassessing its accomplishments academic society, reassessing its accomplishments and insufficiencies, re-examining its purposes, and and insufficiencies, re-examining its purposes, and redefining its future course.”redefining its future course.”

Harvard President, Nathan M. Pusey, 1969.Harvard President, Nathan M. Pusey, 1969.

The birth of Service-Learning colleges and universities encouraged student colleges and universities encouraged student

community servicecommunity service students, public and private agency officials, students, public and private agency officials,

college faculty and staff, cooperated in the college faculty and staff, cooperated in the administration of programs in which students both administration of programs in which students both serve and learn…serve and learn…

such programs were given the generic name: such programs were given the generic name: SERVICESERVICE – – LEARNINGLEARNING““the integration of the accomplishment of a needed the integration of the accomplishment of a needed

task with educational growth.”task with educational growth.”

(Southern Regional Educational Board, (Southern Regional Educational Board, Atlanta, June1969).Atlanta, June1969).

Era I: The “Contra-Curricular” Era(1960s and 1970s)

Social Service/Community ServiceSocial Service/Community Service War on Poverty programs to address poverty and War on Poverty programs to address poverty and

social problems: ACTIONsocial problems: ACTION Need to recruit and train public sector employees Need to recruit and train public sector employees

Higher EducationHigher Education Demand for “relevance” of academic programsDemand for “relevance” of academic programs Experiential learning programs: “urban plunge Experiential learning programs: “urban plunge

semesters;” ethnic studies programssemesters;” ethnic studies programs Experiencing the reality of complex social issues; Experiencing the reality of complex social issues;

accessing new knowledgeaccessing new knowledge

1980: End of an Era

Higher Education Higher Education a Nation at Risk: a rising tide of mediocrity a Nation at Risk: a rising tide of mediocrity

(1984)(1984) Back to the basics: focus on “academics”Back to the basics: focus on “academics”

Social Service/Community ServiceSocial Service/Community Service Roll-back in governmental programs; “New Roll-back in governmental programs; “New

Federalism”; self-help approach.Federalism”; self-help approach.

Service learning programs across the country de-Service learning programs across the country de-funded & disappearedfunded & disappeared

Era II: SL as Course-Based Experiential Academic Learning

(Era of Curricular-Integration: 1985-2000)

Linked to academic courses – the “service-Linked to academic courses – the “service-learning course”learning course”

Not an entire integrated semester Not an entire integrated semester experience; a single courseexperience; a single course

ServiceService is to meet is to meet academic learning academic learning objectives objectives

Reinforce academic knowledgeReinforce academic knowledge Creation of Campus CompactCreation of Campus Compact

Name that year…

Service-learningService-learning can help your students can help your students develop broader social and political develop broader social and political awareness. But, how can you customize awareness. But, how can you customize service-learning so it supports learning…service-learning so it supports learning…in in your disciplineyour discipline..in what you teach…without ..in what you teach…without sacrificing academic rigor?sacrificing academic rigor?

1997, AAHE monograph series on 1997, AAHE monograph series on service-learning in the disciplines.service-learning in the disciplines.

Name that year…

No matter how many times we lecture them, or how No matter how many times we lecture them, or how much we give them to read about the role of interest much we give them to read about the role of interest groups, campaign contributions and political groups, campaign contributions and political manipulations, the students don’t really believe manipulations, the students don’t really believe these things until they experience them for these things until they experience them for themselves. When they do, they are likely to say themselves. When they do, they are likely to say that they have learned something “that wasn’t in the that they have learned something “that wasn’t in the books.” It usually books.” It usually waswas in the books –but it wasn’t in the books –but it wasn’t learned until it was experienced.”learned until it was experienced.”

1989, 1989, Experiential Teaching in Political ScienceExperiential Teaching in Political Science

Lots of Service Increase in Student Civic Engagement

Growth of service learning programs Growth of service learning programs around the countryaround the country

Lots of service happening; focus on Lots of service happening; focus on “applied learning”“applied learning”

Trend in “decline in civic participation” Trend in “decline in civic participation” continuescontinues

Hmmm…Hmmm…

CommunityService

AcademicLearningSL

Service Learning…Integrates academic learning and community service ...

Era III: Service Learning &“Civic Engagement” Era

(2000 – Current)

SL

CommunityService

AcademicLearning

Civic Learning

What do we mean by “Civic Learning”?

Types of Civic Learning(Saltmarsh 2004)

KnowledgeKnowledge SkillsSkills ValuesValues

Academic Academic LearningLearning

Understanding root Understanding root causes of social causes of social problemsproblems

Developing active Developing active learning skillslearning skills

There is important There is important knowledge only knowledge only found in the found in the communitycommunity

Democratic Democratic Citizenship Citizenship LearningLearning

Becoming familiar with Becoming familiar with different types of different types of “citizens”“citizens”

Developing competency Developing competency in identifying in identifying community assetscommunity assets

Communities depend Communities depend on active citizenryon active citizenry

Diversity Diversity LearningLearning

Understanding Understanding individual v. individual v. institutional dimension; institutional dimension; understanding “isms”understanding “isms”

Developing cross-Developing cross-cultural communication cultural communication skillsskills

Voices of minorities Voices of minorities are needed to make are needed to make sound community sound community decisionsdecisions

Political Political LearningLearning

Learning how citizen Learning how citizen groups have effected groups have effected change in their change in their communitiescommunities

Developing advocacy Developing advocacy skillsskills

Citizenship is about Citizenship is about more than voting and more than voting and paying taxespaying taxes

KnowledgeKnowledge SkillsSkills ValuesValues

Leadership Leadership LearningLearning

Understanding the Understanding the social change social change model of model of leadershipleadership

Developing skills that Developing skills that facilitate the sharing facilitate the sharing of leadership rolesof leadership roles

Leadership is a Leadership is a process, not a process, not a characteristiccharacteristic

Inter-and Inter-and Intra-Intra-Personal Personal LearningLearning

Understanding Understanding one’s multiple one’s multiple social identitiessocial identities

Developing problem-Developing problem-solving skillssolving skills

Learning an ethic Learning an ethic of careof care

Social Social Responsibility Responsibility LearningLearning

How individuals in How individuals in a certain profession a certain profession act in socially act in socially responsible waysresponsible ways

Determining how to Determining how to apply one’s apply one’s professional skills to professional skills to the betterment of the betterment of societysociety

Responsibility to Responsibility to others applies to others applies to those pursuing all those pursuing all kinds of careerskinds of careers

Social Justice

Learning

Knowledge of Knowledge of history; history;

understanding understanding social privilege & social privilege & marginalizationmarginalization

Skills to organize Skills to organize actions for social actions for social

changechange

Commitment to act Commitment to act for social changefor social change

Enter CSU Monterey Bay

Founded in 1994Founded in 1994 Three streams of innovation in higher ed:Three streams of innovation in higher ed:

Diversity & multicultural educationDiversity & multicultural education Outcomes-based educationOutcomes-based education Service learningService learning

CSUMB Vision Statement

• The campus will be distinctive in serving the diverse The campus will be distinctive in serving the diverse people of California, especially the people of California, especially the working class and working class and historically under-educated and low-income historically under-educated and low-income populations.populations.

• The identity of the University will be framed by The identity of the University will be framed by substantive commitment to a substantive commitment to a multilingual, multicultural, multilingual, multicultural, gender-equitable learning.gender-equitable learning.

• The education programs at CSUMB will integrate work The education programs at CSUMB will integrate work and learning, and learning, service and reflectionservice and reflection

Vision Statement (cont)

• CSUMB graduates will have an understanding of CSUMB graduates will have an understanding of interdependence and global competence, interdependence and global competence, distinctive technical and educational skills, the distinctive technical and educational skills, the experience and abilities to contribute to experience and abilities to contribute to California’s high-quality workforce, the critical California’s high-quality workforce, the critical thinking abilities to be productive citizens, and thinking abilities to be productive citizens, and the the social responsibility and skills to be community social responsibility and skills to be community buildersbuilders..

Service Learning at Gavilan Gav’s mission: In an environment that Gav’s mission: In an environment that

cultivates creativity, stimulates curiosity and cultivates creativity, stimulates curiosity and emphasizes student learning, Gavilan emphasizes student learning, Gavilan College serves its community by providing College serves its community by providing high quality educational and support services high quality educational and support services that prepare students for transfer, technical that prepare students for transfer, technical and public service careers, life-long learning and public service careers, life-long learning and participation in a diverse global society.and participation in a diverse global society.

So far, what do you think Service Learning So far, what do you think Service Learning contributes to Gavilan College’s vision?contributes to Gavilan College’s vision?