Service-Learning Projects: Meeting Community Needs

Abstract

s (USD) nursing program is an associate degree (ADN) level program. In recent years, learning objectives for the students in the ADN level at USD have been updated to include the National League for Nursing's position statement, which includes recommendations to design new methods to meet students' learning needs. This article discusses the evolution of service-learning projects between USD's nursing program and the community. It will discuss four specific projects in terms of (a) matching the academic needs of the students with community needs, (b) commitment by academia to the community, (c) the impact of service learning on faculty productivity, and (d) the quality of student learning. Finally, some of the challenges of participating in service-learning activities are outlined.

Encouraging social innovation for combating poverty: master’s students’ gendered experiences with a service-learning intervention in Kenya and Uganda

“…Educational output is seen as the application of acquired skills to solve practical problems in the community. Besides enhancing students' understanding of their professional development and career paths (Cashman and Seifer, 2008;Peterson et al, 2006;Reeb, 2010), service-learning increases confidence in community service contributions, social awareness and social justice beliefs (Rooks and Rael, 2013). While service-learning in HE can be traced back to the early twentieth century in the USA.…”

“…Such results indicate embodied service-learning in which, e.g. sensitivity to diversity, professional development and increased confidence in community service contributions, are typical learning outcomes (Cashman and Seifer, 2008;Peterson et al, 2006;Reeb, 2010;Rooks and Rael, 2013).…”

Using Health Impact Assessment as an Interdisciplinary Teaching Tool

“…They are positioned to do more than passively receive of information, and must actively engage with, and interpret their surroundings [ 19 ]. Service learning helps students engage with material learned in class, improve critical thinking and problem solving skills, gain professional experience, and view issues from multiple perspectives including their own, the organization’s, and community members’ [ 20 , 21 , 22 , 23 ]. Service learning, including internships and client projects, are incorporated in some form in most undergraduate and postgraduate planning programs [ 16 , 24 ].…”

“…Public health professionals are expected to work collaboratively with various stakeholders as well as address complex behavioral and social factors that impact community health [ 33 ]. When combined with health disparity and social justice frameworks that emphasize the SDH, health-focused service learning gives students practical experience understanding issues from multiple perspectives, increasing their sensitivity to diversity, and deepening their understanding of how structural causes shape health outcomes [ 20 , 21 , 22 , 34 ]. In addition, service learning creates a reciprocal relationship in which students engage with course materials through community work and communities benefit from students’ contributions, an outcome that is in line with public health’s focus on social justice [ 20 ].…”

Looking back, looking forward: New masters-level creative arts therapists reflect on the professional impact of an interprofessional community health internship

“…Service learning offers profound experiences to students of all health professions, as the emphasis is on addressing community needs and social issues (Gelmon, Holland, Shinnamon, & Morris, 1998) and is a topic of interest in current health professions education literature (Borges & Hartung, 2007;Brush, Markert, & Lazarus, 2006;Elam et al, 2003;Hunt & Swiggem, 2007;Peterson, Yockey, Larsen, Twidwell, & Jorgensen, 2006;Hunt, 2007;Eckenfels, 2009). Through experiential education formats, service learning promotes student development through a reciprocal relationship with human and community needs (Jacoby, 2003).…”