Service-Learning Modules
Service-learning integrates community service with academic coursework, making community service. Community partners become co-educators, teaching students about community, diversity, justice, and social responsibility, and faculty integrate these lessons with their course aims, aided by ongoing personal and in-class reflection activities. The CCSJ provides many resources to help faculty members integrate service into their classes. Below are specific materials that can be used in service-designated and non-service designated classes.
Resources for Service-Learning Designated Classes
Designing and teaching a service-learning course requires commitment above and beyond designing a traditional class. Faculty members are required to design service-learning designated courses to meet certain criteria (see this page for more information). However, the CCSJ and the Faculty Director for Community-Engaged Learning and Scholarship are here to support instructors to make this process as seamless and successful as possible. The following materials may be used to help develop and or supplement existing service-learning classes.
Service-Learning Content Modules
These are packets of curated materials that faculty members can integrate into service-learning designated classes. The modules contain materials for two to three classes, ideas for ways to engage with your community partner, and reflection activities for the students. Instructors are encouraged to adapt the materials to best serve the needs of their class. If you are interested in having a guest lecturer come to your class to provide an overview of one of the modules, please contact Dr. Allen Brizee who can help facilitate connecting the authors of these modules with interested faculty. Currently there is only one module available. If you would like to use this module or develop your own, please reach out to Dr. Allen Brizee for details.
Student Philanthropy Content Module
Student Philanthropy Service-Learning is a service-learning experience that provides students the opportunity to engage with a non-profit organization around issues of fundraising and funds management that support the nonprofit’s mission. Student Philanthropy Service-Learning combines completing direct service with creating a deliverable that a nonprofit can use to help fundraise or increase revenue. This module provides the required readings and activities that form the student philanthropy content for a service-learning course. This module was designed for inclusion in an oral history course, however, it could easily be used in any course looking at issues of nonprofit management, philanthropy, the connections between democracy and civic engagement, and design thinking.
Please contact Dr. Allen Brizee if you would like to use this module.
Baltimore Historical and Contextual Information
All service-learning courses should integrate background materials on the Baltimore community that help contextualize some of the ongoing challenges our community partners are working to address. For instructors looking for ways to help introduce students to concepts such as structural racism and generational poverty, please reach out to Dr. Allen Brizee who can help curate a list of resources tailored to your class and project.
Resources for Integrating Service into Non-Service-Learning Designated Classes
Service-Learning Component Modules
These modules provide faculty members with materials to integrate service into their classes without obtaining a full service-learning designation. Instructors may use existing modules, or they may collaborate with the Faculty Director for Community-Engaged Learning and Scholarship to tailor module content to specific courses. The modules follow best practices in service-learning and are collections of readings, activities, and reflections that help students understand critical issues around civic engagement and service.
The service component modules require students to watch the CCSJ community engagement video, complete readings on service-learning, complete at least one service experience, complete one short research assignment, and complete three reflections.
Accounting Component Module
This component module was created with Dr. J.P. Krahel in Accounting and Dr. Allen Brizee. For students’ service experience, undergraduates help community members prepare their tax returns free of charge while graduate students supervise and submit the finalized documents.
If you intend to use any of these modules or have any questions, please contact the Faculty Director for Community-Engaged Learning and Scholarship, Dr. Allen Brizee