Jonnie J. Owens
Community Outreach Coordinator
(909) 869-4689
jjowens@csupomona.edu
“We call on our colleagues and universities to recognize their unique responsibilities to and opportunities in their communities, regions, and the larger global society by affirming that teaching is a moral vocation, scholarship is a public trust, and public service is a major institutional obligation”
(The Glion Declaration : The University at the Millennium, 1998).
What is Service Learning?
Rooted in constructivism and experiential educational activities, service learning is a powerful teaching strategy that has the potential to enhance students’ learning of academic content. Service learning is a course-based educational experience in which students are engaged in an organized service activity that meets an identified community need. Students reflect critically on the activity of service in order to develop a richer understanding of course content and an enhanced sense of civic responsibility.
Service Learning and CLASS
In recent years, universities across America have been criticized for an apparent indifference to the pressing needs of the local community. Many institutions of higher education have acknowledged such criticisms and have attempted to generate links to the community through the development of university / community partnerships. One such strategy for addressing the needs of the community, particularly within the past decade, has been through service learning.
As explained in our university mission statement “ Cal Poly Pomona’s mission is to advance learning and knowledge by linking theory and practice in all disciplines…” Service learning is a type of pedagogy that can assist faculty and students in beginning to bridge the gap between theory and practice.
With the diversity of academic disciplines within CLASS, many opportunities for service learning exist. Together we can make a profound difference within our community.
