What is Service-Learning?

Service-learning provides a way to “see students not as empty vessels to be filled with knowledge but as active learners who build meaning through context… see the campus not as an ivory tower, but as a socially engaged institution… see community service not was charity, but as reciprocal process with reciprocal benefits…see teaching and research not only as the domain of faculty, but also as the work of students, and community partners…see education not as a value-free venture, but as a directional process cultivating public virtues and meeting public needs.” - Goodwin Liu, service-learning instructor

How does Service-Learning work at BSC?

The Office of Service-Learning at Birmingham-Southern College is a resource for the campus community that coordinating projects and partnerships for and with faculty, students and campus groups. Our goal is to offer opportunities which:

Enhance the academic curriculum
Meet the needs of the community
Provide structured time for reflection
Foster civic responsibility

With these goals in mind, we offer a variety of Ongoing Projects, a week long Alternative Spring Break experience, local, national, and international Interims in Service-Learning, a database of volunteer opportunities, and a listing of classes which integrate service into the curriculum. There are also opportunities for short-term involvement through our Afternoon of Service, which takes place during orientation, Meal Card Drive, Hunger Banquet, clothing drives, voter registration and education efforts, and other such activities.

Service can often lead to a more empowered sense of citizenship. According to columnist Jane Eisner, service “must lead to an appetite for substantive change, a commitment to address the social problems that have created the need for service in the first place.” To that end, students have the opportunity to learn about and shift public policy. Groups like ‘Southern Votes, Alabama Arise, College Republicans and Young Democrats offer discussion groups, voter registration and education resources, and opportunities to lobby elected officials. To get involved, contact Rachel Stinson at restinso@bsc.edu.

Benefits of Service-Learning:

Expand your learning and put it into action: See and experience concepts you’ve learned about in the classroom in the context of the “real world.” Learn how to use your knowledge to effect change
Broaden your horizons and perspectives: Put yourself in contact with those who have experienced life differently from you. Listen to their stories and learn from them.
Make new friends and collaborations: See who shares your interests; meet and get to know people from other communities and organizations;
Learn practical skills: Improve your tutoring skills, practice your foreign-language skills with native speakers, build and paint, learn to communicate with people from every background.
Challenge yourself, your abilities, and your attitudes: Push yourself physically, emotionally, or spiritually. Reconsider your preconceptions.

For more information on Service-Learning, call, email, or stop by our offices (across from the Norton computer lab). We’ll look forward to meeting you!

Kristin Harper
Coordinator of Service-Learning
(205)226-4720
kharper@bsc.edu
Norton 213

Sara Doughton
Asst. Coordinator of Service-Learning
(205)226-4993
sdoughto@bsc.edu
Norton 212

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