Preparing Students for Community Engagement

Before the start of a service-learning project, ideally during the first week of class, students should be given an orientation to community-based learning, the project, and the organization with which they will be working. This does not have to be an elaborate or time-consuming, however, the following points should be included in the orientation:

• The definition and purpose of community-based learning as a pedagogy
• The purpose of their specific community-based learning project in relation to the class
• The criteria upon which they will be graded and other project logistics
• Expected behavior while working in/with the community
• Brief history of the community group or organization
• The needs of the people in the community which the organization serves\
• The significance of this project to the organization
• Issues of confidentiality
• Culturally significant behaviors to be prepared for (for example, a class working with the local food shelf should be aware of the stereotypes they hold about “poor” people)
   

• Cultural and language sensitivity
• An understanding of an asset-based approach to community work
• Acting as ambassadors of the university
• Anti-oppression training