Student Resources

Service-Learning

• Click the definition button at left.  Many faculty at L-A offer courses with a S-L component.  Some kind of reflective activity and approximately 10-20 hours of course-related service for or in the community is usually required.  This option varies by instructor.

• Review the S-L course list.  It includes courses offered on every USM campus, but may not include every course offered.

• Refer to the Reflection Guide for ideas and questions to ask yourself as you think about your service experience and how it relates to your coursework.

• Review the Federal Guidelines for their definition of community service.  While there is a distinction between community service and service-learning, they are closely related and students should be clear about what is considered in the "public interest."

For further information or problems with this page, please contact the Office of Community Service/Service-Learning at:

servicelearning@usm.maine.edu

Keeping a Reflective Journal

As a part of your service-learning experience, you might be expected to maintain a reflective journal. This journal is a log of your experiences while performing your community service. The journal will also provide you with a place to record activities that tie into your coursework. It should include thoughts about your service responsibilities; new skills and accomplishments that you acquire; critical incidents that occur; and your thoughts and feelings.

You will find it easiest to maintain the journal by jotting down notes at the end of each day you perform your service. You might want to begin each entry with a brief factual account of what occurred that day. What did you learn? What were your responsibilities? What are you learning about sociological issues? What are you learning about your community?

Next, write about your perceptions about what occurred that day. Describe your feelings and questions that were raised for you. What was the most difficult part of the day? What was the most satisfying thing that happened? Are your initial expectations being met? Have you met anyone who is especially interesting?

Next you may want to look at how this experience is impacting your education and community knowledge and involvement. Is this experience making your class work more meaningful? Are you more interested in service-learning in your future? Is the experience causing you to review your educational and career goals?

The questions included here are offered only as suggestions to guide you as you begin to keep a reflective journal. The process is meant to enhance your learning experience, so use it in a way that will be most beneficial to you. Your instructor may require additional writing assignments using information that you have collected in your journal. You may also find that the journal is useful in classroom discussions and presentations.

If you are experiencing difficulty keeping a journal, discuss it with your instructor who can provide you with additional suggestions and assistance.

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Federal Government  Defines Community Service as:

Services designed to improve the quality of life for community residents (particularly low-income individuals) or to solve particular problems related to their needs including, but not limited to:

• Health Care
• Crime and prevention control
• Child Care
• Recreation
• Literacy Training
• Rural Development
• Education (including tutorial services)
• Community Improvement
• Welfare
• Support services to students with disabilities
• Public Safety
• Social Services
• Transportation
• Housing and neighborhood improvement
• Activities in which a student serves as a mentor for such purposes as tutoring, supporting educational and recreational activities, or counseling; which includes career counseling.

Work is not "in the public interest" if:

• It primarily benefits the members of an organization with membership limits.
• It involves any partisan or nonpartisan political activity.
• A student's political support or party affiliation is taken into account in hiring.

Although it is not a requirement that community service jobs serve only low-income individuals, they should place a priority on the human, educational, environmental, and public safety needs of the community residents.

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