What is Service-Learning and How Can It “Serve” You?

From Angela Yang-Handy, Student Affairs: Do you want to engage students by providing experiential learning opportunities in your courses? Volunteer experiences in the community often go unnoticed, but through the Service-Learning Office you can coordinate real-world experiences in a systematic and efficient way, in order to build not only your students’ connections with the community through valuable career experience, but also improve your own knowledge of the community.

Many faculty members have repeatedly incorporated service-learning into their courses. In recent semesters, service-learning projects have been developed by faculty from academic departments, including Architecture; Art/Graphic Design; Biology; Communications; Computer Science; Education; English; Health Science; Mathematics; Music; Psychology; Technology, Design, and Safety; Theater and Dance; Sociology; and Women’s Studies.

Are there community services that you already discuss, interact with, or draw upon in your courses? Is there anything that the Service-Learning Office could provide your courses, either networking within the community or planning out new service-learning opportunities? It is not too late to explore ways to incorporate a service-learning project into your courses this spring. If you are interested in learning more about the Keene State College Service-Learning Program, please refer to the program’s website or e-mail Angela Yang-Handy, Service-Learning Coordinator, at ayanghandy@keene.edu.