The Purposes of the Service-Learning Program are the following: 

·         Provide faculty development opportunities and resources for CSM faculty who use service-learning as a teaching strategy.  

·         Support faculty and departments as they develop and enhance service-learning courses.   

·         Facilitate communication about service learning among faculty, students, administration, and community organizations.  

Criteria for Considering a Project/Trip as a Service-Learning Project/Trip: 

·         The primary activities of the project/trip are service as well as learning about why service is needed.   

·         The facilitator of the project/trip prepares the students prior to the service activities. This includes discussion of readings about the issues students are studying through the project/trip, information about culture and language, student reflection on their perceptions of the people with whom they will work, etc.  

·         The facilitator of the project/trip helps students analyze and reflect upon their learning regularly throughout the project/trip and at the end of it. Students may write journals, meet to discuss their learning as a group every day, write papers that connect the experiences to readings, lectures or discussion prior to the trip, and make plans for how they will continue their commitment to the people and issues encountered through the project/trip.  

·         The facilitator has consulted with the Service Learning Program Director on the project/trip, which may be eligible for grant funding. 

 Service Learning Agreement Form
 Evaulation of Student by Community Partner
 Release of All Claims Form
 Student Agreement Form for National and International Travel
 Partnership Relations
 

Benefits of Service Learning

Service learning is an effective pedagogy for students because it…  

• requires student engagement in the learning process
• allows students to practice within a complex social setting
• includes regular and systematic reflection
• develops critical thinking and communication skills
• builds skills and knowledge regarding cultural competence
• encourages responsible citizenship and community-building
• develops students' leadership skills
• changes the roles of teacher and learner in creative ways

Service learning is valuable to community partners because they… 

• educate students and faculty about the community's assets and needs
• receive assistance on projects they identify as priorities
• collaborate with CSM on common goals and projects
• contribute to developing students who have a lifelong commitment to social responsibility

There are many active service-learning organizations. 
Check out these links for a few of them: 

 National Service-Learning Clearinghouse  
 Community Campus Partnerships for Health  
 Campus Compact  
 Conference for Mercy Higher Education