University Center for Innovation in Teaching and Education‘s (UCITE) next First Friday event is a discussion titled “Connecting to Community: Enhancing a Course with Service-Learning.” The session will be held Friday, April 1, from 11:40 a.m. to 12:30 p.m., in Allen Memorial Medical Library’s Herrick Room.
Have you considered incorporating a community-based experience into one of your courses? This session will explore service-learning—a powerful, high impact practice that integrates community engagement to strengthen learning goals while addressing community needs.
Attendees will hear how service-learning differs from community service and other forms of experiential education, learn about the fundamentals of a strong service-learning course, and what to keep in mind when developing a community-based component. They will also engage in conversation about responsible community engagement to avoid a service-learning approach that may inadvertently perpetuate harm and “service saviorism.”
As an example of service-learning at CWRU, one of the UCITE faculty members partnered with Eliza Bryant Village (a senior living community in Cleveland’s Hough neighborhood). Students worked with elder community members to create stories that were later presented as a component of a journalism course. The session will explore both the challenges and rewards of service-learning, and provide information about the Center for Civic Engagement and Learning (CCEL) resources available to support community engagement.
Pizza and soda will be provided.
For more information, contact ucite@case.edu.