Center for Service-Learning & Civic Engagement

Service-Learning at Southwest Tennessee Community College represents one of several modal teaching/learning approaches aimed at enhancing student outcomes. We offer a Service-Learning course of varying credit (1 -3 hours), as well as infusing service-learning within the existing curriculum.

The course will include a 20 hour service requirement for each unit of credit, a learning plan, a journal, an analytic paper, required readings and attendance at least three (3) reflective meetings per term. The service and the learning outcomes are spelled out in the course syllabi. Infusing and integrating service-learning into existing curricula has several advantages and allows students to fulfill course requirements by substituting service-learning for other requirements and assessments, including final exams.

The final feature of service-learning at Southwest Tennessee Community College is the types of agencies targeted for community partnerships. Our aim is to connect students with existing resources that they might not know about, have ignored, or may have taken for granted. We see exposure itself as a type of learning. Thus, we will focus on connecting our students with museums, multicultural and environmental agencies, and social justice advocacy groups.