South Dakota State University Service-Learning Initiative

Description

Academic Service-Learning is a pedagogy that integrates service in the community with academic study to meet specific learning goals for students. Faculty, in partnership with representatives of community agencies, design service-learning projects that will:

• meet community-identified needs
• advance students' understanding of specific course content
• promote civic engagement.

Critical reflective components are built into the course to help students consider relationships between their service, the course curriculum, current societal issues, and their professional goals.

Co-curricular Service-Learning differs only with regard to a link to course content. It maintains the requirements that the activity have specific learning goals for participants, the service must meet a community-identified need, and includes strong reflection and evaluation components. Generally these service activities are directed under the leadership of student organizations and groups.