Edwards's supervisor, Teresia Bush, said she came to rely on Edwards to an unprecedented degree. You find very bright interns all the time, but you don't always find that enthusiasm about learning that creates learning opportunities. Portia would go to the library and read about artists she didn't know. She was remarkable in that way. In education, field-study placements are an integral part of the undergraduate minor, but academic credit for service learning is available to students in every department.
Most departments require students to be juniors before they can participate in service learning.
In community studies, students are required to take two courses specifically to prepare for their placement and at least one upon their return. Yvonne Rodriguez got to apply what she'd learned in the classroom during two science internships. Field study enhances people's learning. But it's not an alternative to traditional education. Our goal is to integrate the two.