Successful Service-Learning Programs: New Models of Excellence in Higher Education

Successful service-learning programs offer college students valuable hands-on learning experiences as they partner with their communities in cooperative service efforts. In this inspiring collection of essays written by prominent leaders of service-learning programs, each chapter provides concrete examples of how successful service-learning programs can foster lifelong student commitments to community service and learning.

By profiling ten successful service-learning programs―including those based at the University of Pennsylvania, Portland State University, Santa Clara University, and Bentley College―the contributors illustrate the power of service-learning to enrich campuses and renew communities. The profiles collectively form a picture of the common and pressing issues affecting service-learning programs across the United States. Each profile contains

• A detailed history of the program's development
• An overview of the basic internal operations of the program
• A review of important community collaborations
• An analysis of the defining dimension of the program's identity
• Concluding insights on challenges faced by the program and remarks on its future

Successful Service-Learning Programs presents a compelling concept of what teaching and learning look like when colleges and universities commit to intellectual, social, and moral engagement. Through the authors’ shared experiences, readers of this book will gain practical insight on ways in which to promote service-learning on their campuses.