Getting Started with Service-Learning

Integrating community service learning practise into a college course can seem like a daunting task.  Building community partnerships can take time and managing student volunteer work and projects can be challenging.  There are, however, many resources, websites, networks and research to help you determine if CSL is a good fit for your course, and to help you get started.

Below is a brief list of CSL websites and resources to begin your exploration of CSL: 

Canadian Alliance for Community Service Learning (CACSL)
http://www.communityservicelearning.ca/en/
The CACSL website is a Canadian site dedicated to providing educational and community resources, networking and research opportunities for practitioners in higher education.  Registering for the CACSL blog is free.

Rewarding Community Engaged Scholarship
http://www.cescholarship.ca/
The focus of this website is to host the resources and research developed by a group of eight Canadian institutions and one international institution of higher education.  The primary goal of the group is to establish and effect changes within higher education policy to reflect the growing influence of CSL pedagogy and scholarship in Canada.

Generator School Network (GSN)
http://gsn.nylc.org
This site hosts a network of practitioners from elementary school to higher education, as well as CSL resources and projects from all over the U.S.  Membership is required to access resources.

Campus Compact
www.compact.org 
Campus compact is a resource specifically for practitioners and faculty within higher education.  The website is home to resources, research and data measuring community engagement across U.S. campuses.  

Further Reading: 

Butin, D. W. (2010). Service-learning in theory and practice: The future of community engagement in higher education. New York, NY: Palgrave Macmillan.

Chambers, T. (2009). A continuum of approaches to service-learning within Canadian post-secondary education. Canadian Journal of Higher Education, 39(2), 77-100.

Eyler, J., & Giles, D. E. (1999). Where's the learning in service-learing? San Francisco, CA: Jossey-Bass.

Furco, A. (1996). Service-learning: a balanced approach to experiential education. Expanding Boundaries: Service and Learning, 2(6), Washington, DC.

Gemmel, L. J., & Clayton, P. H. (2009). A comprehensive framework for community service-learning in Canada. Canadian Alliance for Community Service-Learning.

Jacoby, B. (1996). Service-learning in higher education: Concepts and practices. San Francisco: Jossey-Bass.

If you are interested in learning more I will be updating the blog periodically.