Learning in Action

Considering offering a Service Learning Class:

If you are considering offering a Service Learning course, piloting a community-based project, or submitting a course to the ICC, we highly recommend setting up a consultation with our Faculty Support Coordinator. At Humboldt, Service Learning courses can be submitted as a new course to the ICC, piloted as a special topics course, or piloted as an addition to an existing course.  In all cases, working with our office will ensure a smooth approval process, assist in implementing best practices and is required to meet curriculum and risk management guidelines. See below for links to the ICC page regardign submission for Service Learning S-Designation. 

Humboldt has identified the following elements as essential to every Service Learning course

1.  Meet a real community-identified need, integrating "community voice."
2.  Link to curriculum - be tied into and enhance the curriculum of the established "S" Designated Service Learning course.
3.  Prepare and orient/train the student: to both the learning site/community partner organization and Service Learning pedagogy.
4.  Reciprocity: partnerships must be reciprocal in practice, being worthwhile and valuable for all participants -- student, faculty, and community.
5.  Provide systematic reflection activities that are embedded throughout the course. 
6.  Undergo constant development: Service Learning - both the student experience and the course evolution- occurs in different stages and on different levels, for all   participants.
7.  Foster civic responsibility and diversity.
8.  Provide ongoing, embedded evaluation with all participants aware of what will be evaluated.

To ensure your course includes these elements and meets CSU and Humboldt Risk Management Requirements, we offer the following checklist for creating your course and syllabus:

1.  Service Learning is outlined in the syllabus as a clear goal in the course.
2.  There is a clear outline of the student responsibilities, service requirements and how the students success will be measured and assessed.
3.  Syllabus outlines the service projects, recommended community partners, and expectations for securing placement. 
4.  Instructions for using the campus (and CSU) database for risk management and placement records, HS4U, are present in the syllabus. 
5.  Course description and syllabus draws a connection between the curriculum, service projects and needs of the community partners.  
6.  Built in class time for orientation to Service Learning as a pedagogy, readings on best practices and planning for community-based projects. 
7.  Reflection activities that are systematically embedded throughout the course.
8.  Built in reflection on community needs, equity, issues around diversity. 

Course Design Materials

(In Process - Please reach out for any information you need and to receive these materials in draft form)