Service Learning
Why service learning?
Service learning is most often thought of in terms of traditional classrooms in traditional schools and colleges. So, why does service-learning matter to UW-Extension?
The mission of UW-Extension is to ensure that "all Wisconsin people can access university resources and engage in lifelong learning, wherever they live and work." We strive to help citizens find personal growth and we strive to address the changing needs of our state and society. We serve as leaders in the state in integrating scholarly knowledge and public outreach. We serve all learners, and we pay special attention to the educational needs of the under-served, the disadvantaged and the non-traditional student.
How do we do all this? One way is through service learning. Look below to see how service learning helps UW-Extension fulfill its mission.
Service Learning Extends Access to University Resources
Whether it is students or community partners, service-learning helps individuals access and benefit from school and university resources. Students who are involved in service-learning projects have opportunities to apply academic concepts to real-world settings and enhance their learning. Community partners gain access to new ideas and strategies through service-learning faculty, staff, and students. UW-Extension faculty involved in service-learning also benefit from new opportunities to strengthen connections with university campuses.
- Learn how university students extended their knowledge and skills to a local Wisconsin Bookworms program (formerly Wisconsin First Book) and successfully wrote and received new grant funding.
Service Learning Promotes Lifelong Learning
Service learning is not just for K-12 and college students. Service learning can take place in a number of educational settings, formal and informal, with students of all ages, from preschools to nursing homes.
As a pedagogy, service learning encourages learning and retention through active, experiential learning, through reflection activities, and through real-world applications. Current research also recognizes service-learning as an effective strategy for fostering a sense of caring for others.
- Learn how Master Gardeners in Columbia County served alongside high school students to increase gardening access to nursing home residents.
- To find out more about the effects of service learning in higher education, check out: At a Glance: What We Know about the Effects of Service-Learning on College Students, Faculty, Institutions, and Communities,1993-2000: Third Edition
Service Learning Impacts Wherever You Live and Work
Service learning strengthens both education and community. Service learning helps build valuable partnerships between educational institutions and community-based organizations and businesses. Service-learning projects meet local needs and provide opportunities for individuals to work collaboratively with others in their communities.
- Learn how Grant County UW-Extension worked with university students from various disciplines to develop a community revitalization plan for a local village.