What is Academic Service Learning?

Academic service-learning integrates service in the community with academic study or research to advance students’ understanding of course content, help strengthen the community, and generate new knowledge in that area or field. Through reflection activities, students connect their classroom and service experiences to facilitate learning outcomes. Students who enroll in a course with a service-learning component complete approximately 20 hours of service per semester that relates to the ideas they are learning in that class. In addition, academic service-learning provides tangible outcomes to community partners and advances the necessary research to address society’s needs.

As UNL’s academic service-learning center, Student Involvement aims to serve the community by developing partnerships between local agencies and UNL faculty members. Community partners deal with many diverse areas and issues such as the environment, humanities, medicine, science, and religion. These partners also work with a variety of clientele including animals, children, the disabled, minorities, immigrants and refugees, women, and senior citizens. No matter what your agency specializes in, there is a UNL course that can help you achieve your community-based goals.

Click here for photos from the Duke University Research service-learning visit.

For more information about incorporating service-learning into your community organization, contact the Student Involvement Service-Learning & Volunteer Services Team at 472-2454.