Find a Community Partner
Below is a list of community organizations that can offer opportunities for service-learning. These organizations have:
- Hosted service-learning students in the past
- Established volunteer programs
- Insurance and liability for volunteers
Tips for Getting Started
Instructors: skim these tips for establishing positive partnerships
Students: review this process for Creating a Student-Initiated Project.
Be Clear and Direct
Community partners have a lot of competing priorities. Clearly and succinctly introduce yourself, explain your goals, and outline what you’re asking the organization to support.
Start with Existing Opportunities
Community partners can more easily support service-learning when students participate in existing volunteer roles. Serving in established opportunities is less taxing on the community partner and can challenge you to make educational connections independently.
If your service falls outside an existing opportunity, have a clear proposal prepared
Everything costs something, whether it’s time, attention, or effort. Community partners are more willing to support service-learning if the investment to facilitate it is limited. Keep the focus on the service by preparing as much as you can.
Stay open to learning
Community partners are the experts in their missions. Service is an excellent opportunity to learn from that expertise. Embracing the service, whether you understand or agree with the approach or not, will afford you more in-depth learning.