What is Service Learning?
Service Learning is a pedagogy that integrates academic learning and relevant community service. QCC has a grant from the AACC (American Association of Community Colleges) to develop service learning projects in classes. The working definition of service learning is:
Service learning combines community service with classroom instruction, focusing on critical, reflective thinking as well as personal and civic responsibility. Service learning programs involve students in activities that address local needs while developing their academic skills and commitment to their community.
The projects underway or under development at QCC allow students to apply knowledge or skills they are learning in their classes to projects that assist local community organizations. In some cases this component involves going "on-site" to the organizations but in others, students do class projects that serve the organizations' needs while spending little or no time at the organizations' site (like a math class analyzing data for an immigrant-serving community health organization, or a computer class building a website for an animal shelter.)
Service Learning is a High Impact strategy that has had successful pilots in various departments at Queensborough.
The Resource Center provides a central location where students, faculty, and community partners can learn about service learning, as well develop and initiate service learning projects.
The SLRC is a virtual resource site for faculty, students, and community partners. The Web site contains a wealth of information targeted to faculty, including links to content-specific sites and calls for conference presentations as well as publication opportunities. For faculty who are new to the pedagogy, detailed information is available to help create a service-learning class, such as examples of syllabi and reflection resources.