For all parties involved, there are many benefits associated with community service-learning.
Dr. Tania Smith, a professor at the University of Calgary (in the video interview to the right) advises service learners to think about opportunities they wouldn't normally think of while experiencing CSL.
There are many benefits specifically for students. "I want students to learn communication skills," Dr. Smith, a University of Calgary professor says, "and I find those are best learned with real audiences other than myself as a teacher." She goes on to highlight the often larger impact of a CSL course over any given university course, as it is about connecting with the community.
University of Calgary sessional instructor Linda Vennard (also interviewed in the video) says about her CSL-based courses, "I hope students will learn something that contributes to their future careers." CSL is not about getting an "A" in a course, it's about asking:
How is this going to be something for my career? How can I use this experience to learn beyond the classroom? How can I contribute to the community while building skills?
Although not discussed in this interview, there are also benefits for the teachers and the community partners involved. For teachers, it can be as simple as feeling lasting meaning and purpose in one's teaching, in that for a CSL-course to be effective, a teacher must be actively engaged. For community partners, it can be about fostering relationships with the next generation of university students. It can also be about gaining new perspectives and insights regarding their organization and its processes.
To see an in-depth discussion of some of these benefits, play the video above.
For a brief overview of how you can benefit from CSL as a community partner, instructor, or student, refer to the chart below. |
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Benefits and Ideals |
