“Service-Learning is a structured learning experience that combines community service with preparation and reflection. Students engaged in service-learning provide community service in response to community-identified concerns and learn about the context in which service is provided, the connection between their service and their academic coursework, and their roles as citizens.” [1]
It differs from ordinary volunteering placements in that:
- Service-learning strives to achieve a balance between service and learning objectives – in service-learning, partners must negotiate the differences in their needs and expectations.
- Service-learning places an emphasis on addressing community concerns and broad determinants of inequ(al)ity and disparity.
- In service-learning, there is the integral involvement of community partners – service-learning involves a principle-centered partnership between communities and sending institutions.
- Service-learning emphasizes reciprocal learning – In service-learning, traditional definitions of “faculty,” “teacher” and “learner” are intentionally blurred. We all learn from each other.
- Service-learning emphasizes reflective practice – In service-learning, reflection facilitates the connection between practice and theory and fosters critical thinking.
- Service-learning places an emphasis on developing citizenship skills and achieving social change – many factors influence health and quality of life. The provision of services is not often the most important factor. In service-learning, students place their roles as professionals and citizens in a larger societal context.
International Service-Learning (ISL) then, simply means experiences that involve entering communities in other countries.
BUT
We recognize that this term alone does not cover all the types of people who enter into marginalized or “developing” communities. In addition to students, people like academics, researchers, peace corps volunteers, celebrities, consultants, sports teams or other citizens also engage with these communities, and so we chose the term “International Engagement” to include all these diverse groups.
[1] Adapted from Seifer SD. (1998). Service-learning: Community-campus partnerships for health professions education. Academic Medicine, 73(3):273-277.