What are the best ways to prepare and train faculty and staff for service learning in higher education?

In the process of assessing needs and goals, it is important for the faculty or staff member to consider the balance of need in the community versus the need for the class or the experience for students. In other words, service learning opportunities should truly benefit the community and target population more than it benefits the students in the class. Learning goals and objectives are necessary for the class, but they aren't critical - or even prioritized - by the community, and without the community there is no service-learning opportunity.

Mutual understanding and agreement is so, SO important. One of the best service projects I had the privilege of creating and overseeing provided advanced students in the arts an opportunity to lead personal development activities in a county detention center. Agreements were needed on several levels - the training students needed to work in that environment, outcomes for the grant agency funding the project, expectations for the participating detainees, supervision from the guards, etc. Suffice there was a lot of work in preparation, execution, assessment, and reporting. But the reduction in behavioral incidents inside, growth of the students, community response, etc. made everything worth it.

Service learning should not merely exist in theory for everyone involved. Immersion has been key in my experience. Make it real in every aspect. Assume the roles of each key player and anticipate the knowledge needed to execute their position clearly.

It is important that students understand the significance of service learning and how the career that they have in the future works symbiotically with helping others. With clear goals and learning objectives students understand that they are learning while gaining hands on experience. It also, shows them the needs of the community. Analyzing what they have learned and accomplished encourages service learning in the future and empowers students to see how their work makes a difference.

In my 17 years of experience in working with students, I found they are very open and willing to work in the community. To solicit a positive outcome, community partners please recognize this is a life lesson, one that students may continue if the experience is favorable. It his helpful to discuss best practices to help partners recognize the value of hosting the short -term volunteers prior to the visit. Site managers, prepare to offer students a story of the mission and values of the organization, and validate the reason they are there to provide assistance. These partnerships are often successful!

One thing I have found helpful when supporting young people to engage fruitfully with service-learning is reearch-led practice. It is relatively easy to design programmes which lead to measurable short-term goals. The challenge is to create programmes with long-term impact for all service partners. Writing my master's dissertation on E-service-learning has been transformative for my practice.I have developed a more critical viewpoint, and can now use instructional design to provide authentic and reciprocal service-learning.

Faculty should not forget to ask their students what is of interest to them in their community and what personal talents they have to offer the project. No contribution is too small and every student should feel they have made an impact. If you provide a supportive and responsive framework, students will also find their undiscovered talents and strengths through participation in service learning.