Service-Learning and Social Justice for College and University Students

Abstract

All students deserve access to the types of learning that enable them to experience firsthand the rich diversity of life to understand the challenges that others face in their everyday living and to learn collaborative and impactful problem-solving skills to help combat inequality at the local, national, and international levels. A perusal of service-learning addressed in this chapter includes an examination of the benefits for both the participant and the recipient. The chapter addresses the need for service-learning for people who are marginalized because of their gender identity or sexual preferences, disabilities, class, race, gender, age, or a combination of factors associated with marginalization. Recommended practices for ensuring successful service-learning projects and various types of service-learning are discussed. Six sequential steps in implementing a service-learning project are delineated. The chapter concludes with examples of local, regional, national, and international service-learning projects and testimonials from recent local and international service-learning providers.