Benefits of Service-Learning
Service-learning has potential benefits to everyone involved: students, faculty, and the community.STUDENTS in service-learning classes can benefit academically, professionally, and personally. These are just a few of the ways:
- Increase your understanding of the class topic
- Gain hands-on experience (possibly leading to an internship or job later)
- Explore or cement your values and beliefs
- Have opportunities to act on your values and beliefs
- Develop critical thinking and problem-solving skills
- Grow your understanding of diverse cultures and communities
- Learn more about social issues and their root causes
- Improve your ability to handle ambiguity and be open to change; become more flexible
- Develop or enhance your skills, especially in the areas of communication, collaboration, and leadership
- Test out your skills, interests, and values in a potential career path, or learn more about a field that interests you
- Connect with professionals and community members who you will learn from
- Grow a professional network of people you might connect with again later for jobs or internships
- Satisfy your urge toward public service or civic participation
- Encourage interactive teaching methods and reciprocal learning between students and faculty
- Add new insights and dimensions to class discussions
- Lead to new avenues for research and publication
- Promote students' active learning; engage students with different learning styles
- Help students achieve the U of M's undergraduate learning and development outcomes
- Develop students' civic and leadership skills
- Boost course enrollment by attracting highly motivated and engaged students
- Provide networking opportunities with engaged faculty in other disciplines
- Foster relationships between faculty and Twin Cities community organizations, which can open other opportunities for collaborative work
- Provide firsthand knowledge of community issues; provide opportunities to be more involved in community issues
- Gain additional human resources needed to achieve organizational goals
- Inject new energy, enthusiasm, and perspectives into the organization's work
- Grow the organization's volunteer pool: service-learning students will share their experiences with friends and classmates
- Increase public awareness of key issues
- Reach out to youth—an important part of any organization's future support
- Educate students/youth about community issues; correct any misperceptions
- Help prepare today's students to be tomorrow's civic leaders
- Network with colleagues in other organizations and agencies
- Identify and access other university resources; build relationships with U of M faculty, students, and staff