Service-Learning, Volunteerism or Internships?

• Service-learning is usually a course requirement.  It ensures students not only participate in course-related service but also reflect upon what they are doing, relate it to the class and evaluate what they are learning.  The service is intended to equally benefit the student and the service recipient; sometimes there is tension in this balance.

Reflection is another key difference between service-learning, internships and volunteerism.  In service-learning, students reflect on relationships between the services, community issues, and the class.  Both faculty and community partners are encouraged to engage students in reflective discussions.  Community partners often enjoy participation in the classroom reflection as well.

• Volunteering is a worthwhile and important activity, but students generally do not learn from volunteering in the same way; they do not connect it to classroom instruction and academic course content.  The primary emphasis is on the service, not the learning.

• Internships often focus on learning job skills instead of serving the community, whereas service-learning emphasizes the student making a contribution to the community at the same time as they use the service as a vehicle for learning course material.

Service-learning experiences can often lead to internships.  SL provides students with shorter-term community experiences which can help them refine or redirect their goals for longer internships.

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