Service-Learning Community of Practice

Program Information

Program Duration: Spring Semester 2024

Start Date: Thursday, January 18, 2024.

Meeting Frequency: Bi-weekly (see schedule below).

Meeting Schedule:

• Thursday, January 18, 1:30-2:30 pm
• Thursday, February 1, 1:30-2:30 pm
• Thursday, February 15, 1:30-2:30 pm
• Thursday, February 29, 1:30-2:30 pm
• Thursday, March 14, 1:30-2:30 pm
• Thursday, March 28, 1:30-2:30 pm
• Thursday, April 11, 1:30-2:30 pm

Meeting Location & Modality: Meetings will be held in-person in Olscamp 106. Outlook meeting invites will be sent to all registrants.

Program Participants: The Service-Learning Community of Practice is open to all BGSU members of the teaching community, including full-time faculty members, adjunct instructors, graduate student instructors, and staff (classified and administrative). 

Program Description:

In the Service-Learning Community of Practice, we will examine the transformative power of service-learning as an educational tool and provide you with actionable strategies to integrate this approach into your classroom, bridging the gap between theory and practice for the public good. The service-learning pedagogy challenges traditional methods of lecture and knowledge consumption toward an experiential-learning pedagogy. Whether you are new to service-learning or are seeking to enhance your existing courses, we invite you to join this Community of Practice. We will discuss what service-learning is and the core components of the pedagogy, which include the importance of integrating meaningful service into the curriculum, the careful selection of community partnerships, and the incorporation of critical reflections on the impact and experience of serving a community. 

Program Learning Outcomes:

By successfully completing this Community of Practice, you will be able to:

• Demonstrate an understanding of the core concepts and theories of service-learning, including its historical roots, pedagogical foundations, and its relevance in today’s higher education landscape.
• Design service-learning structures that integrate within your curriculum’s learning outcomes. 
• Build and maintain reciprocal partnerships with community organizations to support service-learning initiatives.
• Connect your service-learning course to the University Learning Outcomes.
• Understand the BGSUserves platform to track service-learning impacts for your courses. 

Participant Expectations:

By participating in this Community of Practice, you agree to:

• Meet the program learning outcomes.
• Actively participate and attend at least 80% of the synchronous meetings.
• Complete all assigned readings and review previous readings prior to sessions.
• Complete deliverable activities and assignments assigned by the facilitator.

Program Registration

Use the link below to register for this Community of Practice. The registration deadline for Spring 2024 Communities of Practice is Friday, January 19, 2024 at 5:00 pm. Participation for some Communities of Practice may be limited; registrations will be fulfilled on a first-come, first-served basis. 

Spring 2024 CFE Community of Practice Registration Form