Service-Learning Institute

Purpose

This 3-day workshop will focus on incorporating service-learning activities into courses to align with course learning goals, enhance student growth and civic awareness, and strengthen our community. Participants will understand the pedagogy of service-learning and community engagement and co-create a service-learning project for a course to be implemented in the 2024-2025 academic year. The SLI provides a path for connecting with others and enhances one’s teaching, research, and service. 

 

Please download and open the application in Adobe Desktop PDF in order to have the best user experience. 

Download the SLI Application
Community Engagement


Who should apply?

This is open to all faculty (tenured/tenure-track and instructors/adjunct) however, space is limited. Selection will be based on:

  • Alignment with the Civic Literacy, Engagement, and the Humanities Cert/Minor (see more details below)
  • Courses could support planning of the Sesquicentennial in 2025-2026 (see more details below)
  • Faculty who are new to designing service-learning projects.
  • Representation across campus to be inclusive of various colleges and majors.
  • Ability to match the faculty/instructor to a community partner/agency. (Faculty can identify a potential community partner to be invited to the SLI and/or will be matched with a community partner, with faculty approval. Community partners can be on or off campus partners.

Civic Literacy/Engagement, and the Humanities Cert/Minor

In the fall there is a new certificate and minor being offered titled Civic Literacy, Engagement, and the Humanities. In particular, this SLI will support faculty teaching in courses in this program and are encouraged to apply. This 18-hour interdisciplinary minor/16-hour certificate will help students develop civic knowledge, skills, and values in tandem with the foundational knowledge, skills, and dispositions of the humanities that support the flourishing of a democratic society. One course within the new minor is a new course, UNIV 3930, Civic Engagement and the Humanities, a topical course which must incorporate a civic engagement component. Anyone interested in teaching this course could attend the SLI to explore partnerships with community partners.

Sesquicentennial Planning

UNI will be celebrating our Sesquicentennial in 2025-2026. The planning and preparation will take place in the 2024-2025 academic year in conjunction with the Sesquicentennial Steering Committee and Work Groups. Faculty teaching courses that align with planning and preparation with following projects are encouraged to apply: 

  • Documenting the history of a program, department, college, or UNI; 
  • Planning a Day(s) of Service for alumni and current students for spring 2026.

Open Call

While there is focus on Civic Literacy, Engagement, and the Humanities Cert/Minor and the Sesquicentennial, all faculty interested in embedding a service project into their course are encouraged to apply. Projects can be significant in size and scope or a smaller, one day service-project.  

Preparation & Commitment

Participants will be expected to:

  • Apply for the Service-Learning Designation on their course.
  • Attend meetings to discuss ongoing collaboration efforts.  
  • Participate in pre and post SLI surveys (including submitting syllabi). 
  • Display your project at the Community Engagement Celebration day in April 2025.
  • Archive scholarship, creative works, and/or media resulting from service-learning projects in the UNI ScholarWorks Community Engagement collection (click here to view the collection).

Details

  • Dates: May 21-23th, 2024
    • Tuesday, May 21 - noon-5:00
    • Wednesday, May 22 - 9:00-4:00
    • Thursday, May 23 - 9:00-2:00
  • Location: To be determined 
  • Faculty Participation stipend: $500; if applicable, community partner stipend: $500