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This pilot study examined how one Graduate Counseling Program initiated improvements in counselor training pedagogy through incorporating a service-learning project with computer technology into an entry-level course for graduate students.  The service learning experience was designed to advance university and community collaboration and teach students about social justice and advocacy in the field of mental health.  Students were placed in several agencies that represented grossly underserved populations.  A holistic approach incorporating both qualitative and quantitative procedures was utilized for the analysis of this study.  The authors developed a non-standardized questionnaire containing specific questions pooled from the CACREP guidelines for counselor training.

Graduate counseling programs are proficient in training direct service providers but less able to teach the business of sustaining a community agency's services. Modern philanthropy emphasizes social advocacy by investing in change that benefits the local community and respects the diverse cultural experiences of potential clients and stakeholders. Teaching philanthropy in an introductory graduate counseling course provides one avenue to prepare future counselors to both understand the importance of and be actively involved in sustaining a community counseling agency's mission.

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