Building Civically Engaged Graduates Through Service Learning

A Conference Report

Addison Van Auken
Sep 7, 2018 · 4 min read
Elisabeth, Galaxy Digital’s Business Development Lead at Campus Compact’s PACE Conference.

Here at Galaxy Digital, we love attending conferences! They’re a great way to expand our knowledge base and connect with like-minded organizations. Seeking new insights into service-learning programs and the efforts that are emerging on campuses across the nation, Elisabeth Donovan, Galaxy Digital’s Business Development Lead, attended the PACE conference, hosted by North Carolina Campus Compact and Elon University in February.

Elon University’s Pathways to Achieving Civic Engagement (PACE) Conference is an annual gathering of service-learning faculty, students, and community partners sharing tools and research with the intent of strengthening campus engagement. PACE was of particular interest to Elisabeth, who works closely with campuses to better manage student volunteerism programs and service-learning initiatives. Elisabeth recently shared her takeaways from the conference with us.

Shaping a Curriculum Around Community

Campuses play an integral role in forging multi-institution partnerships, and civically conscious campuses want to harness their resources to help address the needs of the communities to which they belong.

Elisabeth attended a workshop, “Building Bridges from Campus to Communities Across Georgia,” led by University of Georgia’s Archway Partnership, a program that addresses the self-identified needs of Georgia communities through collaboration between faculty, students, local governments, nonprofits, and other stakeholders. UGA staff shared their framework for bringing together educators, healthcare workers, businesses, and thought leaders to address the challenges that citizens face. The framework helps UGA to uphold its three-part mission: to serve communities across Georgia, support critical faculty research, and enhance student instruction through real-world learning opportunities.

In fact, many campuses across the country are taking an integrative approach by establishing curricula that merge service with academics. West Virginia University’s iService initiative encourages a “campus culture of service” by providing faculty with the resources to tailor courses to meet both the needs of the community and students through “meaningful experiential learning opportunities.” Similarly, Eastern Michigan University requires all undergraduate students to participate in a Learning Beyond the Classroom program, where they participate in meaningful service experience. And EMU’s VISION Volunteer Center makes service opportunities accessible to students.

Students Want a Voice

Building a culture of civic responsibility requires the collective commitment of campuses’ governing bodies, educators, and students alike. Elisabeth found that the educators were inspired by the possibilities of service learning initiatives:

But it’s not just educators who want to have a hand in change, “Today’s students want to have a voice,” Elisabeth reflects. “They want to challenge the way things have always been done.” PACE conference attendees were equally encouraged by their students’ desire to understand the civic problems that communities face and contribute solutions to those problems. Elisabeth continues, “This generation is a powerful force. But they are a generation that needs to have their ideas, passions, and voices heard and incorporated.” Engaging today’s students with service opportunities may require a new approach. It’s not enough to assign a task and expect students to feel motivated. To inspire engaged students, Elisabeth suggests, “Ask [your students] what they think. Explore what they know. Share and listen. Listen more than 50 percent of the time. This generation is demanding to be heard.”

Service learning and civic-engagement programs like UGA’s Archway Partnership or WVU’s iService provide students with opportunities for capacity building and leadership. By establishing a campus-wide culture of engagement, students graduate into engaged citizens, problem-solvers, and change-makers.

Bridging Gaps with Campus Connect

When resources and citizens come together with purpose, communities grow and prosper. But the logistics of gathering disparate actors can be a challenge. Enter Campus Connect, a tool for managing service-learning curricula and volunteer programs. By teaming a vision of thought leaders with an organized infrastructure, volunteer software helps campuses forge and maintain effective partnerships between their students and local nonprofits. Students can search for and connect with opportunities, as well as log and track their efforts. With Campus Connect’s Service Learning Module, faculty can manage curricula and gain a comprehensive understanding of students’ impact. Measurable results keep all involved accountable and challenged to keep moving forward. By allowing students to share their voice while acknowledging their efforts in doing so, universities can support engaged students and caring campuses.

Addison Van Auken

Written by

Addison writes for Galaxy Digital, the best volunteer management software for 2018.

Galaxy Digital

Galaxy Digital builds stronger communities through simple technology that improves lives and connects people, organizations, and resources. #techforgood

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