A New Way of Learning
Critical Reflection #1
9/4/19
Service-learning combines concepts learned in the classroom with engagements in the local community. As service-learners, we assess root causes of issues and find a neighborhood to serve and learn about specific social injustices. We are intentional about connections to experiences and academics learned in class, which is why service-learning is different than volunteering or internships. It isn’t for hours or money, but rather to gain a greater understanding of our own neighborhoods and communities. Authors Sensoy and DiAngelo (2017) define critical social justice as an idea that “recognizes inequality as deeply embedded in the fabric of society and actively seeks to change this” (p. xx). This is an important concept for service-learners because we theorize why issues that we observe in the community are happening and what we can do about it to make change as an educated and concerned member of society. It includes thinking critically as well as understanding one’s position in the world. To think critically means to “continuously seek out the information that lies beyond our commonsense ideas about the world” and to also “understand the historical and cultural context in which knowledge is produced, validated, and circulated” (p. 24). These concepts of critical social justice and thinking critically are foundations that service-learners follow. My role as a service-learner is to engage in a community that is underserved and to observe and question the injustices that may be present.
The community partner I chose to work with this semester is the Aprendiendo Juntos (“Learning Together”) playgroup. This is a program of the Parent Services Project that meets with young children and their parents in the Canal neighborhood of San Rafael. Many parents are uneducated, so the program works with the children and parents to provide education and support for these families. In addition, child development is supported through group activities with other children and families. Because this community partner is also in a new neighborhood for me since I don’t know much about the Canal area, I am curious about what are some of the injustices this community faces, and if they are larger, structural problems. In past service-learning experiences, I have engaged with elderly patients with dementia at Skyview Day Club, as well as the homeless and low-income population at the Ritter Center. These are all three drastically different populations in three communities all within the same city. Therefore, I am curious about if there is something that links them all together? I would like to examine this idea throughout the semester. I can do this by looking at American history and examining parallels and trends that may be happening presently and in San Rafael. I will be able to engage with young children at the playgroup, but also be able to have conversations with their parents and learn new things about the community since the community members are the ones that know best. Moreover, in consideration of the types we learned in class, I want to use my strengths as someone who is a caregiver and a bridge builder in my service-learning experience. I can provide a calming presence of care, but I believe I can be more. I also want to grow as a community storyteller. Because I have had several experiences in different communities, I want to learn to weave stories together to create a larger narrative for an audience. I am excited for a new opportunity to learn, grow, and do more for my community.
