Students
There are many definitions of service learning in the literature, each one with common elements that define how service is conducted in conjunction with course content. Service learning includes three elements: Course content, service project, and student reflection. The Office of Community Engagement at California State University, Northridge has adopted the below definition in 2012.
Community-Based (Service) Learning is a teaching and learning strategy that integrates meaningful community service with instruction and reflection to enrich the learning experience, teach civic responsibility, and strengthen communities. Faculty choose a limited number of meaningful partnerships with the goal of providing students with different, but consistent off-campus learning experiences. Through community-based learning, students-from kindergartners to college students-use what they learn in the classroom to solve real-life problems. They not only learn the practical applications of their studies, they become actively contributing citizens and community members through the service they perform.
If you have any question, please email or join our notification list by clicking here or contact the Director, Danielle Spratt at danielle.spratt@ csun.edu
- Timelogs for Faculty (Video Version)
- Timelogs for Students (Video Version)
- Timelogs for Program Staff
- Process Requests to Partner from Community Agencies for the purposes of service learning
- Conduct Sites Visits to Potential Community Partners to determine potential risks to students
- Provide a Database for Students Service Learning Plans and Agreements (kept on file for 3 years for audits)
- Collect and Electronically Store Student Time Sheets and Site Supervisors Evaluations of Students (kept on file for 3 years for audits)
- Pre- and Post-Service Evaluations are available for Faculty wishing to gauge students' tendencies toward civic engagement (useful for conducting research)
- Competitive Grant Process to Support Development of New Community-based (Service) Learning Courses
- Competitive Grant Process to support both Discipline-Based and Interdisciplinary Community-based (Service) Learning Course Projects