Engaged Service Learning Shapes Students’ Individual Identities, Fostering Community Stewardship

Service learning creates a space for transformative learning to occur, employing a framework that unites practice and theory with reflection. Service learning that gives students a sense of responsibility for outcomes and is perceived as significant enhances student efficacy. This integrative work meaningfully connects students to a deeper understanding of academia, the community, and personal identity. The University of Nebraska at Omaha (UNO) has a Service Learning Academy (SLA) that facilitates service learning projects. We analyzed qualitative responses of open-ended questions collected from a post-survey given to UNO students enrolled in a service learning course in the spring or fall semesters of 2019. The open-ended questions gave students the opportunity to share how their service learning experience impacted their relationship to and perceptions of academia and their community. The following themes emerged from student responses and revealed a transformative service learning experience: expanded awareness of social issues and community resources, deepened sense of civic responsibility, increased connection to the community, improved self-efficacy, and solidified career choice. Beyond shaping identity, students experience a greater sense of belonging and stewardship to their community. Giving students the opportunity to experience service learning allows them to share their talents and build relationships in a real-world setting and explore their identity within a larger context. This instills a greater level of confidence in the work they do on campus and within the community.

https://newprairiepress.org/cecd/engagement/2020/2