The Partnership Model For Service-Learning Programs: A Step-By-Step Approach

Abstract

Service-Learning is a hot topic in higher education today, but the importance of streamlining processes for community service will never go out of style. Generally, universities, faculty, communities, and students value the concept of civic engagement. However, it is challenging for educators to provide meaningful service, which offers valuable learning opportunities, while trying to meet academic expectations of rigor and research. The Partnership Model for Service- Learning provides a visual framework for organizing sustainable programs and leads to collective impact. It is a model that “ties it all together”, seamlessly connecting teaching, scholarship, and service. In addition to a step-by-step framework for constructing a service-learning program, this article presents case examples to illustrate the differences between “project-based” and “program-based” pedagogical approaches. Finally, student-perceived impacts of service-learning are quantified, via Likert scale, in the associated areas (Callister and Hobbins-Garbett, 2000), of personal satisfaction, impact on professional development, critical thinking, awareness of unmet community needs, and feelings of preparedness for practice, for both the project-based and program-based case examples.

Teaching Macro Social Work through Experiential Learning: Student Reflections on Lessons Learned in Building School-Community Partnerships

“…Linking the project with faculty service and research provided seamless connections that enhanced community service, faculty research, and student learning simultaneously (Flinders, Nicholson, Carlascio, & Gilb, 2013). School-university partnerships seeking innovative solutions to complex problems may take years to develop as they achieve implementation milestones that add depth and capacity to services and program innovation (Anderson-Butcher et al, 2010).…”

The Development of a High‐Impact Structure: Collaboration in a Service‐Learning Program

“…When developing our “Partnership Model for ServiceLearning” (Flinders et al. ), we referred to Bittle, Duggleby, and Ellison's () definition of service‐learning, which merged ideas from Greenberg (); Seifer (); and Shah and Glascoff (), to discern the crucial elements of the phenomenon: service must be meaningful, reciprocal, allow for leadership development, and include reflection. A fifth essential element was added to our model: authentic partnership (versus superficial or one‐time arrangements), which leads to the possibility of sustainability (Flinders et al.…”

Service Learning in Afterschool

“…It is important to gather input from all of the stakeholders in the service learning activity which can influence future service learning efforts (Flinders, Nicholson, Carlascio, & Glib, 2013). Input can be gathered in many forms, using surveys, discussions, reflection assignments, etc.…”