The goal of Service Learning is to empower those being served and those who serve. Community service learning uses community service as the vehicle for students to reach their academic goals and objectives by integrating teaching objectives with community agency needs. Service learning is based on a reciprocal relationship in which the service reinforces and strengthens the learning, and the learning reinforces and strengthens the service. Service learning identifies and tracks specific learning objectives and goals. Service learning provides students with opportunities to use newly acquired skills and knowledge in real-life situations in their own communities.
Service learning fosters a sense of caring for others and a commitment to civic responsibility.
Service learning gives academic credit for demonstrating learning achieved through service, not just for putting in hours. Faculty members integrate a service learning component within their course curriculum, as an option or requirement. The range of placements is defined by the course content and parameters agreed upon between agency and instructor. At the beginning of each semester, the faculty member introduces the service learning component. Students are then given information about placement options by the Community Service Learning Facilitators.