A Smart Start to Service-Learning

Seven steps to launching successful service-learning classes:

1. Define student learning outcomes.  (these might include "improving community awareness, involvement with community, commitment to service, career development, self-awareness, sensitivity to diversity, sense of ownership, communication skills, life skills, morality and character, and critical thinking and analysis."
2.  Define Personal Scholarship Outcomes
3.  Plan Community Collaboration
4.  Design the Course

The Joint Educational Project at the University of Southern California recommends these key elements in the syllabus of a service-learning course:
a. A clear explanation of the connection between the academic content and the service component
b. Clearly stated course objectives related to the service
c. A description of the service requirements, including information on logistics
d. Specific information about placements, including names, addresses, and fairly detailed descriptions of participating community organizations
e. Clear information about requirements for reflection, critical analysis, or deliverable projects
f. A concise description of the evaluation process, including details on what will be evaluated and how the service experience will be weighed in the final grade.

5.  Arrange Logistics and Create Forms
6.  Reflect, Analyze and Deliver
7.  Perform Assessment and Evaluation