President's Message
Service learning benefits communities and students
Daniel Schott
Issue date: 3/10/10 Section: News
The images are difficult to watch. Hundreds of thousands dead…large buildings reduced to rubble. In just 35 seconds Haiti was turned upside down by a powerful earthquake. Now all eyes are on the latest disaster in Chile.
Service learning
These tragedies remind us how important it is to lend a helping hand to others, especially when times are tough. One way of doing that is through service learning - a method of teaching through which students apply their academic skills and knowledge to address real-life needs. Experts say service learning provides a compelling reason to learn, teaches the skills of civic participation, and develops service and civic responsibility. By solving real problems and addressing real needs, they say students learn to apply classroom learning to a real world context.
Service learning vs. community service
So what's the difference between service learning and community service? Experts say service learning projects emphasize both the service and the learning. Community service emphasizes the habits and skills of volunteerism. The advantage is service learning provides more authenticity and purpose for classroom learning.
Alternative breaks
A good example of service learning is Madison Area Technical College's alternative breaks. In just a few weeks our students will be heading to New York, Washington, D.C. and Florida. They will help the homeless, volunteer at food banks, and comfort those suffering from the HIV virus. Our veterinary technician students will use their skills to help injured animals in the Everglades.
Make a difference day
Most service learning happens close to home. Every year Madison College students take part in Make a Difference Day - the largest national day of helping others. This past October our students cleaned-up Madison parks and the Henry Vilas Zoo. A number of our student clubs volunteer as a group to clear brush and invasive species, mulch trees, and pick weeds.
Getting involved
Wondering how you can get involved in service learning? It's easy. All you have to do is stop by Madison College's Volunteer Center, which is in room 140 at Truax and room 125 at our Downtown campus. President Obama summed it up best when he said, "we need your service right now, at this moment in history. I'm not going to tell you what your role should be - that's for you to discover. I promise you your life will be richer and our country stronger."
Service learning
These tragedies remind us how important it is to lend a helping hand to others, especially when times are tough. One way of doing that is through service learning - a method of teaching through which students apply their academic skills and knowledge to address real-life needs. Experts say service learning provides a compelling reason to learn, teaches the skills of civic participation, and develops service and civic responsibility. By solving real problems and addressing real needs, they say students learn to apply classroom learning to a real world context.
Service learning vs. community service
So what's the difference between service learning and community service? Experts say service learning projects emphasize both the service and the learning. Community service emphasizes the habits and skills of volunteerism. The advantage is service learning provides more authenticity and purpose for classroom learning.
Alternative breaks
A good example of service learning is Madison Area Technical College's alternative breaks. In just a few weeks our students will be heading to New York, Washington, D.C. and Florida. They will help the homeless, volunteer at food banks, and comfort those suffering from the HIV virus. Our veterinary technician students will use their skills to help injured animals in the Everglades.
Make a difference day
Most service learning happens close to home. Every year Madison College students take part in Make a Difference Day - the largest national day of helping others. This past October our students cleaned-up Madison parks and the Henry Vilas Zoo. A number of our student clubs volunteer as a group to clear brush and invasive species, mulch trees, and pick weeds.
Getting involved
Wondering how you can get involved in service learning? It's easy. All you have to do is stop by Madison College's Volunteer Center, which is in room 140 at Truax and room 125 at our Downtown campus. President Obama summed it up best when he said, "we need your service right now, at this moment in history. I'm not going to tell you what your role should be - that's for you to discover. I promise you your life will be richer and our country stronger."
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