The Washington Study-Service Year of Eastern Mennonite University

Abstract

The author describes the results of an evaluation of a service-learning program of Eastern Mennonite University. The Washington Study-Service Year, an off-campus program, began in 1976 in Washington, D.C. The author describes briefly the current goals and structure of the program and then describes the evaluation data and results. A variety of methods were used as evaluating tools, including essays of current students, interviews with alumni, and alumni surveys. The short and long-term influence of the program appears in increased understanding of racial/cross-cultural issues, in increased values in the areas of working with marginalized persons and working to change social institutions, in self-understanding, and in the development of interpersonal skills, such as conflict resolution and communication.