How can Service-Learning (SL) benefit your research and students?
Benefits for students
- Gain transferable skills, career contacts and resume-building experiences
- Earn a Service-Learning transcript distinction for the SL course
- Deepen learning and civic engagement through real community applications
- See more benefits for students
Benefits for faculty
- Increase the community impact of your course or research
- Build connections with local stakeholders and foster public trust
- Enhance the visibility of your project (see other benefits of SL Designation)
- Strengthen grant proposals (NSF recognizes SL as a high-impact practice, especially for Broader Impacts)
- See more benefits for faculty (scroll down to “Faculty”)
FAQs: Integrating Service-Learning into your lab or course
What is Service-Learning?
Service-Learning (SL) is a course-based, high-impact experiential learning method. Students apply academic concepts and skills to real-world service that benefits the community. Read more about SL.
What support is available for faculty?
Faculty can easily access customized consultations, community partnerships, templates, peer support and more. Read more about support services.
Why apply for SL designation?
Students receive a transcript distinction and faculty gain full staff support, recognition from the Provost and help with student recruitment. Read more reasons to designate.
What’s involved in SL planning and course designation?
- Faculty with existing community projects can fast-track their SL designation with a one-hour consultation with the SL Director, Kara Brascia. Together we identify what’s working, address any gaps and complete the application for Service-Learning designation. Contact KaraBrascia@boisestate.edu.
- Starting from scratch? Faculty can access full support throughout planning and implementation. See this two-pager for details or contact Kara Brascia at KaraBrascia@boisestate.edu to get started.
Examples of SL in research and creative activity
Kelly Arispe, Department of World Languages, WL Secondary Teacher Education
Kelly Arispe engages students in Open Pedagogy, co-creating Open Educational Resources (OER) that enhance teaching and learning globally. Through service-learning projects linked to the World Language Resource Center and Secondary Education coursework, students contribute to the Pathways Project—a repository of over 900 activities and eight Pressbooks supporting K-16 instruction in ten world languages. Link for more information (Pathways Project).
Brittany Brand, Boise State Hazard and Climate Resilience Institute
Brittany Brand engages her students in community resilience research to develop Rural Resilience Strategies, working on projects such as flood mitigation, economic resilience and infrastructure upgrades. Service-learning activities include collaborating with community partners, conducting research, analyzing data and providing recommendations to strengthen community resilience. Link for more information (VIP).
Matt Hansen, Department of English Literature
Matt Hansen involves undergraduates and elementary school students in producing a performance of an abridged Shakespeare play. Knowledge of Shakespeare is power in the form of cultural capital and this program improves access to that power for all. Matt has secured grants to support this creative activity. Link for more information (VIP).
Rebecca Som Castellano, Department of Sociology, Human-Environment Systems
Rebecca Som Castellano involves undergraduate and graduate students in applying theory to practice (praxis), such as partnering with the Idaho Food Bank to integrate community-engaged research into research methods and capstone courses. She also works with students as research assistants for participatory action research projects, including a collaboration with Global Gardens and the City of Boise to support farmers from refugee backgrounds in the Treasure Valley. Link for more information (faculty page).
Marie-Anne de Graaff, Department of Biological Sciences
Marie-Anne de Graaff engages undergraduate and graduate students in her Ecosystem Ecology Laboratory to explore the impact of climate and land-use changes on ecosystems and ecosystem services. Students work alongside Dr. de Graaff on research to investigate how plant-soil-microbe interactions regulate carbon cycling between ecosystems and the atmosphere, with implications for crop production and ecosystem restoration. Link for more details (VIP).
Jen Forbey, Department of Biological Sciences
Jen Forbey collaborates with The Peregrine Fund, Dr. Roger Rosentretter and the Idaho Department of Fish and Game to engage students in wildlife conservation and outreach. Through Course-Based Undergraduate Research Experiences (CUREs) in animal physiology, students gain hands-on experience in sagebrush-steppe restoration and science communication, contributing to conservation research supported by NSF and the Chukar Chasers Foundation. Link to more information (faculty page).