• Getting Started
  • About Us
  • Current Opportunities
  • Service Learning Contract
  • Contact Us
• Student Information
  • Service Information
    • Service-Based Clubs
    • Service Immersion
      • Take a Break (TaB)
      • Jumpstart: NSOCO
    • Class-Required Service
      • About Service Learning
      • Why Service Learning?
      • Class List
      • Requirements
    • Leadership Opportunities
      • Leadership Information
      • Community Outreach Program (COP)
  • Service Logging
  • Explore Social Issues
  • Get Funded
• Staff Information
  • Become a Resource
    • Advise TaB
    • Mentor
    • Attend Events
    • Lead Workshops
  • Teach with Service Learning
    • Why Service Learning?
    • Courses
    • Process
    • Timeline
    • Tools and Resources
    • Workshops
    • Mailgroup
    • Links
  • Grants
    • Quick Facts
    • Resources
• Community Information
  • Recruit Volunteers
    • Intern and Volunteer Fair
    • Recommendations
  • Frequently Asked Questions
  • Resources
• Student Involvement Offices
  • Campus Recreation
  • Multicultural Affairs
  • Student Activities

Why Service Learning?

So, you are in a service-learning course! You may be wondering, why is service-learning important to this course and to my overall education? Here are some answers to your questions:

• You have the opportunity to participate alongside your professor, peers and community members in learning academic course curriculum as well as providing meaningful service to your community. Needless to say, this course could change your experience as a university student in countless ways. Service-learning has been known to cause students to gain a sense of civic responsibility, to critically engage in the local community, to become interested in pursuing social justice, and even consider that he/she has the ability to make a difference in the lives of others. In other words, there are many reasons why service-learning plays an integral role in completing your course objectives, as well raising your involvement, as a citizen of Salem for nine months out of the year, in our community.
• To better understand the function of the service-learning objective for your course, imagine the general topic of "community service" on a continuum. At one end you have VOLUNTEER WORK, which is taking a couple of hours out of your schedule now and then to help out at a school, a shelter, a park, etc.
• Next on the continuum is what is commonly called COMMUNITY SERVICE. This might look like a volunteer position, but with the express purpose of fulfilling a specific need in the community. After completion of your community service project, you might be participate in guided reflection on your experience to better understand how the service affected both you and the community served. This reflection can add depth to your service experience, but it is generally limited to a one-time activity.
• Finally, SERVICE-LEARNING is combining your academic curriculum with on-going participation in the community. It provides an invaluable component to your educational experience, giving you practical application to the academic theory you study in class. In essence, dedication to your service-learning opportunity can enhance your understanding of course material by bringing it to life!

Clearly, SERVICE-LEARNING is not COMMUNITY SERVICE, nor is it VOLUNTEER WORK. It is much, much more. A successful service-learning experience, however, depends on good communication between the faculty member community partner and student. We are here to help you, your professor and community partner connect, communicate and collaborate. Please contact the Community Service Learning office anytime throughout your service-learning experience with any questions and feedback.

Guidelines for Service-Learning in the Community

Keep in mind that your participation in service-learning has a strong impact on the lives of those you serve in the community. Because of this, the relationships that you build with the population of people you are working with through your service-learning experience need to be carefully managed. Here are some guidelines for you to keep in mind while participating in service-learning. Be sure to contact the Office of Community Service Learning if you have any questions, or would like to talk about these guidelines and how they apply to you. We look forward to meeting you!

Establishing Rapport

• Introduce yourself as a service-learning student from Willamette University to the volunteer coordinator at the agency or school you are serving in.
• Even though they anticipate your arrival, talk with the coordinator about your service-learning course objectives and what you hope to learn from your service experience.
• Collaborate with the agency or school to identify how many hours per week you will be serving there. Make sure that you are there for a minimum of 2 consecutive hours each time you go.
• Give the volunteer coordinator your contact information and remain in close communication about schedule conflicts and changes that you have throughout the semester.

Confidentiality

• Respect the population that you are working with during your service-learning experience by refraining from talking about specific on-site circumstances with your friends and family.
• Do not use the names of those you work with at your service site when journaling or when writing an academic essay about your service-learning experience.
• Even after you complete your service-learning course, continue to respect the people you interacted with during your service-learning experience and keep their names and personal circumstances confidential.