The Aims of Service-Learning

Service-Learning Programs

"Service-learning is… active learning—drawing lessons from the experience of performing service work.”
—The Corporation for National and Community Service

Goucher College has been involved in service-learning since 1994. Faculty, students, and community organizations have worked together to solve problems in a variety of formats and across departments, programs, and disciplines.

The Three Rs

We have learned that effective service-learning projects have three components equally vital to the student, the college, and the community: responsiveness, reciprocity, and refection.

Responsiveness

• The project should respond to community needs and add value to the community, building on community assets.
• To avoid objectifying the community, the voice of the community should be privileged in the college-community relationship.

Examples: The Goucher/Dr. Bernard Harris, Sr. Elementary School Project responds to dislocations caused by a family tragedy in the community. The Goucher/Margaret Brent Project, in the Old Goucher neighborhood, responds to community’s desire for asset assessment and neighborhood revitalization.

Reciprocity

• The project should be an outcome of mutual dialogue and sustainable relationships between college and community.
• Students and community members should have reciprocal roles, each serving as teacher and learner; service provider and recipient of service.

Example: Goucher students in Baltimore's public schools learn about education policy, race and class issues, and develop their organizational and problem-solving skills while public school students learn about identity and self-esteem, and improve their classroom-learning skills.

Reflection

• The project should be self-evaluating, and should consider its impact on the community, e.g.: what worked well; what could be improved; what skills were learned; how value was added to community and classroom.
• Such contemplation and evaluation should occur throughout the service experience, not just at the end of the project.