Selecting Service Learning Sites
What are some criteria that can be used for selecting a service learning site?
I agree with the topics discussed in this lesson as I am a clinical instructor and our students get oppurtunity of service learning by practising what they learned inschool settung on sims and they get to feel real life situations and there feedback tells us that thay start as timid and scared students and finish as confident students with trust and confidence of helping and making difference in people's life.This is great.
Must be related to schools goals.
Should be achievable by participants
Should have a desired outcome from the service performed.
This is an area where program advisory boards can be extremely useful. Our advisory boards understand the issues and needs within our communities. They can specifically target agencies and services that can benefit from the school's resources (knowledge and people-power). One of our senior citizen centers was short on activity aides, resulting in a number of our students volunteering at the site. Parenthetically, a number of students were also enrolled in our Gerontology course, thus providing a dual benefit opportunity.
For our massage program, in the past, we have gone to nursing homes and the army base. Over the years, attendance has started to decline. In our particular circumstance, my suggestion would be to hold students accountable for their commitment, as well as choosing new places to do their services. Find something a little more exciting. while these other places are not unimportant, perhaps a change might inspire more ambition to be apart of these community services.
One criteria is to make sure that the site is within the community. Students should have easy access to the site. Another criteria is proper equipment. Does the site have the right tools to provide the service? For example, a culinary student would need a working stove to saute.
It is important that the opportunity is relevant to the student. It should be something that they are interested in and that they can apply to what they are studying. It should be experience that they can take with them.
A learning site should give students a realistic insight of the industry to prepare them for what is about to come.
In choosing a site for culinary students there are many opportunities for learning sites. The site should be chosen through investigation or through some kind of approval process but there are plenty of opportunities for students to gain knowledge and experience through these kind of service programs. For example, every season we take a group of students to work on a non-profit farm that provides tours and learning opportunities for children as well as providing food for needy families on a weekly basis. The students get to learn about sustainable agriculture while helping the farm by working in the fields, planting, clearing, and caring for the animals. This provides the perfect opportunity for both service to the community and knowledge of subjects within the culinary industry.
Service learning sites should be relevant to what the student is learning. If the student is in culinary school, the service site should have food preparation, ordering, or service.
The site should be approved by the school and/or state/fed/local government. We wouldn't want students learning from an illegal or unapproved source.
Finally, the site should be willing to make sure that the student is actually gaining valuable experience. The above criteria can help with this, but the management of the site should also take some ownership.
I agree, developing and maintaining relationships creates potential opportunities to enhance the learning program for the student and intstructor
The difference between service learning and community service has been helpful to learn about.
Thanks,
Diane
Some of the criteria should include relevance to program and curriculum; ability for the community to benefit; a project that is realistic and achievable with clear start and end dates for the student
A major consideration is whether or not a site has needs that students could meet based on skills they have been learning. Be willing to look beyond the surface needs of a site. I do a lot of volunteer work with a no-kill dog shelter. Most people think about walking dogs, grooming, and cleaning kennels. However, fundraising efforts can utilize skills of business students in marketing--among many other areas. IT students could assist with websites, creating databases or spreadsheets. Office technology students could design brochures and fliers. Sites that can utilize skills in multiple courses or majors may make for a more successful long-term partnership.
I would also want to know more about the reputation of an organization before getting students involved in a project. Is this a group that has a solid reputation in the community or have there been problems associated with the group?
I agree. Not every opportunity will fit every student. It's important to understand the student's learning needs before helping them choose an appropriate site.
It is beneficial for the students and the schools to continue to participate in events or continue to work with sites or organization that have been successful in the past. Those are relationships worth maintaining as you can develop more opportunities for learning and work with eachother to enhance the program.
I would want to be able to do service learning there on a regular basis so we could build a good reputation. I would want it to be a win-win situation where the community benefits just as much as the students. The students should also have the opportunity to practice all the skill they learned in the classroom.
The most important criterion is assuring the service learning activity and service learning site help the students meet the require outcomes of the course. Other criteria would be assessing how valuable this activity is in meeting the outcome. Could another activity meet the objective equally well or better? Is the site receptive to student involvement? Can a relationship between the site and the school build a stronger academic package for students?
As a Chef Instructor I often field requests from various organizations for our students to help out at events. These have in the past ranged from Wine Expos to "Famous Chefs" Demos. While my school does not have a formal Service Learning Program in place, I am very careful to evaluate each 'opportunity' for the learning potential. I do not want my students to be used only for 'clean-up' labor. I want them to be able to gain something positive and worthwhile from the experience(s).
I usually teach the Communities I and II class, which both require development of a public health educational program. The first project is simply oral health education to a target population. In small groups the students have to select an oral health concern from the healthy people 2020 report, and choose a target population based on these needs. The second program is related to smoking cessation, again with the target population of their choice. I have a list of sites previous groups have visited, but the students may submit a site for approval. Our list continues to grow. The students have presented to a diverse spectrum from youth karate students- promoting the use of protective mouth-guards, pregnant teen Mom's, senior citizens - on oral cancer screening, smokeless tobacco use with an adult soccer team, the list goes on. The community has welcomed us, and the students become so engaged when they can direct the focus of their project.
