As the first anniversary of the Service Learning Research and Development Center approaches, director and graduate student Andrew Furco is getting the word out among faculty and fellow graduate students about the value of integrating volunteerism into the academic curriculum. Service-learning has proved to be an effective strategy for teaching. The campus's center was established last summer through a federal grant from the Corporation for National and Community Service. As part of the Graduate School of Education, it provides technical assistance to faculty and graduate students throughout the campus in integrating community service into existing and new academic courses. Furco, a doctoral candidate in educational administration, said the center has already received national attention for its research on the impact of community service on students' educational development.
Students volunteer up to six hours a week with organizations that help homeless people.
The goal of these courses is to provide students with opportunities to think critically about key social issues related to course content by drawing on their community service experiences. And the students found the courses increased their appreciation for those from different backgrounds, ethnicities and life experiences. The center is part of a larger campus national service project which includes expansion of the campus's Cal Corps Public Service Center. Copyright 1996, The Regents of the University of California. Produced and maintained by the Office of Public Affairs at UC Berkeley .