Growing Up and Growing Out

Abstract

This article describes a journey introducing service-learning based on large-scale projects in an undergraduate management curriculum, leading to supplementing this approach with more conventional small-group projects. It outlines some of the foundation for service-learning. Having students undertake a single class-wide project offers distinctive advantages. The difficulties experienced in early iterations of the course, however, prompted the author to reflect on the literature on developmental psychology and “emerging adulthood.” This reflection led to introducing a second course based on more modest small-group projects, which can serve as a useful prerequisite for the more ambitious class-wide project enterprise. The smaller scale project class focuses on personal skills, individual effectiveness, and team leadership. Moving later to a larger scale project allows students to learn more about delegating to others, managing performance, designing tasks and organizations, and gaining a sense of impact as a collective unit. Results so far suggest the benefit of both classes taken in sequence.