service-learning defined.

Service-Learning is a partnership among students, faculty, and community organizations. Service-Learning projects:

• are conducted in and meet the needs of a community.
• help foster civic responsibility.
• are integrated into and enhance the academic curriculum of the students enrolled.
• include structured time for students to reflect on the service experiences.

Adapted from Souza, Tasha (1999) “Service-Learning and Interpersonal Communication: Connecting with the Community.” Voices of Strong Democracy: Concepts and Models for Service-Learning in Communication Studies. Washington, DC: AAHE.

Service-learning is an experiential, collaborative method of teaching using projects that promote academic learning and are tightly linked to course content while meeting the needs of the community. In a service-learning course, students apply their academic energies to the benefit of the community, typically in collaboration with partner charitable or governmental entities outside the university.

service-learning at UNO.

The Service-Learning Academy (SLA) was established in the spring of 1999 with a grant from the Nebraska Consortium for Service-Learning in Higher Education; the SLA is currently supported by the Office of Academic Affairs. Today, the Service-Learning Academy is under the leadership of Paul Sather, together with American Humanics and the Civic Participation Project.

Since the establishment of the SLA, service-learning offerings at UNO have grown massively. In the 1998-99 academic year, 133 students taking 7 courses participated in service learning. By the 2006-07 academic year, this had grown to over 1600 students in more than 100 classes in disciplines and interdisciplinary programs across the university. We have ongoing relationships with more than 200 community partners.

Please visit our assessment page to learn about the highly successful outcomes of this pedagogy.

service-learning vision.

The UNO Service-Learning Academy leads in the creation of university-wide partnerships with the community by integrating academic learning and civic engagement.

service-learning mission.

The UNO Service-Learning Academy facilitates collaborative partnerships between the university and the metropolitan community for the purpose of enhancing student learning, advancing community service and initiatives and fostering engaged citizenship.

service-learning values.

The values of the Service-Learning Academy are:

1. We believe that integrating academic knowledge with a Service-Learning experience in the community prepares students to work and serve in an increasingly diverse and challenging world.
2. We believe that Service-Learning creates opportunities for personal and professional growth.
3. We believe that Service-Learning inspires students toward an ethic of service that leads them into increased involvement in their community.
4. We strive to serve the needs of students, faculty, and the community through facilitating collaborative partnerships, providing support and offering opportunities for professional development.
5. We value the community partner as teacher and model this approach with faculty.
6. We value the success of others.