Creating
Sustainable Service Learning Programs
Edinfo 01-11
November, 2001
ERIC Clearinghouse for Community Colleges
The American Association
of Community Colleges (AACC) began a three-year grant project in 1997 to increase
the number, quality, and sustainability of service learning programs in community
colleges nationwide. 10 mentor colleges and 4 mentee colleges were identified
to participate in the project; each of these participating institutions received
$4,000-$10,000 a year. The result was successful. From January 1998 through
June 2000, a total of 6,689 students had performed 111,438 hours of direct community
service, worked with 760 faculty and administrators, and served 1,951 agencies
and schools and more than 75,000 individuals. The general implementation strategies
were:
- Administration involvement
and support: Involving all levels of the college administration—from department
chairs and deans to presidents—in service learning.
- Climate: Creating
a supportive, celebratory campus climate for community service by recognizing
student achievements and distributing evaluative reports to the public.
- Community Collaboration:
Forming community partnerships by involving practitioners in social service
agencies, K-12 schools, local government, and community-based organizations
as "co-teachers" in the project.
- Curricular Integration:
Working with faculty to integrate service learning into course objectives.
- Faculty Development
and Involvement: Developing faculty training workshops, handbooks, and
guides. Encouraging faculty to attend or present at conferences.
- Student Participation
and Leadership: Developing student leaders to lead reflection sessions,
serve on advisory committees, and participate in management.
- Sustainability and
Institutionalization: Tying service learning to institutional initiatives
such as recruitment, retention, and workforce development.
This information was reported
in ED449840, "Creating Sustainable Service Learning Programs: Lessons Learned
from the Horizons Project" by Gail Robinson. A full-text copy of this document
may be obtained by contacting ERIC Document Reproduction Services (EDRS), 7420
Fullerton Road, Suite 110, Springfield, VA 22153-2852; or by calling (800) 443-ERIC.
This project has been funded at least in part with Federal funds from the U.S.
Department of Education under contract number ED-99-CO-0010. The content of this
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Updated 12/03/01