Service-learning courses impart lessons in community

The University of Nebraska-Lincoln offers nearly 65 classes that allow students to learn and serve their community simultaneously.

From architecture to political science, every department offers at least one class with a service-learning component, said Linda Moody, assistant director of Student Involvement.

“A service-learning class uses the community as its laboratory in order for students to practice and create new knowledge,” Moody said. “Students are then able to process all that information back in class.”

Students who take service-learning classes have the opportunity to apply real-world concepts learned in class through volunteer work.

For instance, Amber Harris Leichner, a graduate teaching assistant, has used service learning in her Introduction to Women’s and Gender Studies course twice.

In her class syllabus, she requires students to spend 20 hours outside of class working with an off-campus agency of their choice from a list compiled by the Service Learning and Volunteer Services Staff at the Office of Student Involvement. 

The list includes agencies specific to the course material. Some of the agencies included the Friendship Home, a shelter and support system for battered women; the Girl Scouts Spirit of America; and the Teammates Mentoring Program.

“Things happen when students can get out into the community and apply the things they are learning in the classroom that I never could have anticipated,” Leichner said.

“This past spring semester in particular, I was amazed to find roughly a third of the students in class were going to stay on at their service agencies until the school year ended or through the summer or even indefinitely.”

For the last 12 years, UNL has built up its service-learning courses. The benefits of the classes range from gaining interpersonal skills to graduating on time, Moody said.

“There’s a mental-health benefit, as well,” Moody said. “Students who are active in service are less likely to find themselves in at-risk behaviors. They are probably going to have a better outlook on college and their courses.”

Because some courses do not offer a service-learning aspect every semester, Moody urges students to talk to their advisors and contact faculty if they’re interested in a service-learning course.

However, Moody does caution students who wish to enroll in one of these courses. They need to take into consideration time-management and the added stress involved with volunteer work, she said.

Students should also be aware that service-learning courses fill up quickly.

“It’s a fun way to learn, and it’s just as rigorous as some of the other teaching methodologies,” Moody said.

Not only is the class fun, but students are encouraged to put their service on their resumes.

“It’s a win-win for everybody,” Leichner said. “Because, as students, we can get out there and learn new skills, challenge ourselves, apply classroom knowledge and make contacts with people in the community who may become future employers.”

“And, of course, the community benefits from the students’ work.”

courtneypitts@dailynebraskan.com