Types of SL Projects
Learning goals determine what type of project will best enhance student learning. Here is a range of project types.
Direct Service
1. Educational Outreach
- teaching, tutoring, mentoring, demonstrating, or presenting their knowledge and/or skills with a community partner. Ex: afterschool programs, parenting programs
2. Companionship / Personal assistance
- spending time with people from target populations (ex: people who identify as elderly, refugee, homeless, youth at risk, people with disabilities) to offer support with language, storytelling, technology, etc.)
Indirect Service
3. Design and Production
- applying technical skills to design and/or produce a product for community partners. Ex: technical writing, curriculum development, designing adaptive devices, developing an app, revitalizing spaces, updating wayfinding, etc.
4. Background Research/ Issue Analysis
- conducting a needs assessment, resource mapping, program evaluation, and/or background research on current issues for community organizations. Students may then work with community partners to disseminate to the public
5. Community Outreach and Impact
- assist community partners in generating awareness, such as writing newsletter articles, developing or curating videos, assisting with outreach events, etc.
6. Field Experience
- designing experiments, collecting data, or contributing to ongoing studies through data monitoring for community partners. Ex: Idaho Fish and Game, Foothills Learning Center
7. Advocacy
- working with community partners to advocate for action or to educate target groups about issues of public interest
See the Social Change Wheel for other types of SL projects.