Service Learning 
“The past is our heritage, the future is our legacy, and the present is our responsibility.”

Service-Learning is a teaching and learning strategy that integrates meaningful community service with instruction and reflection to enrich the learning experience, teach civic responsibility, and strengthen communities. Service Learning combines community service with hands on education to prepare students for college and to support them with the goal of a college transfer or with graduating a traditional 4 year institution

An exciting, hands-on approach to education, service-learning is taking place in a wide variety of settings: schools, universities, and community-based and faith-based organizations throughout the country.  The core concept driving this educational strategy is that by combining service objectives and learning objectives, along with the intent to show measurable change in both the recipient and the provider of the service, the result is a radically-effective transformative method of teaching students.

Community members, students, and educators everywhere are discovering that service-learning offers all its participants a chance to take part in the active education of its youth while simultaneously addressing the concerns, needs, and hopes of their community.

More Info on Service Learning

Featured Initiatives
National Cesar E. Chavez Blood Drive Challenge

This national service learning program engages U.S. Latino/Hispanic college students as college campus organizers in a national ‘Smart & Healthy’ education campaign honoring Cesar E. Chavez’s legacy as an American civic leader devoted to improving the quality of life for the migrant/seasonal farmworker community.  The four objectives are to promote a) health education, b) health/science careers, c) civic engagement, and d) saving lives!  The campaign challenges each student organizer to coordinate a successful blood donor recruitment campaign culminating in a health education event featuring a 1-3 day campus wide blood drive to be held on or close to March 31st celebrating Cesar E. Chavez’s Birthday. 
International Service Learning
 

As a socially responsible international educational NGO, ISL enlists medical and educational volunteer teams for the provision of services to under-served populations in Central and South America, Mexico, the Caribbean, and Africa.

ISL provides educational opportunities for students from over a hundred universities in several countries, primarily from the United States.  It is the goal of ISL to partner student and professional teams from developed countries with service opportunities in developing countries.   This is accomplished by offering educational opportunities on a contractual basis to both educational institutions and individual students. The resulting financial resources are used to fund teams serving in various countries.  In so doing, ISL  provides annual employment for over a hundred individuals in developing countries.  These jobs range from full-time employment to part-time contracts.  We employ medical professionals and providers of services such as transportation, translation, guides and logistics (food, housing, etc.).

National community service providers in which you may implent service learning principles.

  • Cesar Chavez Foundation
  • Farmworker Awareness Week
  • America’s Blood Centers
  • American Red Cross
  • Donate Life
  • Be the Match
  • Habit for Humanity
  • Toys4Toys
  • Harvest for Hope
  • Student Action for Farmworkers
  • League of United Latin American Citizens
  • Mexican-American Political Association
  • Mexican-American Legal Defesne and Educational Fund
  • National Council de La Raza
  • American Civic Liberties Union

Student Organizing School
Organizing our Campuses for Justice
Applications due April 30

Through the Student Organizing School, SAF trains, mentors, and supports a small group of college students in NC to be leaders in the farmworker movement. Through an orientation, retreats, and farm labor camp visits, student organizers learn about the history of the farm labor movement, current farm labor campaigns, and popular education and organizing. Through campus organizing, the students support current policy and organizing campaigns to improve farm labor conditions.

Visit us on the Web for more information, share the link with friends, and apply by April 30th:
https://saf-unite.org/

Contact Nadeen Bir with any questions:
Nadeen Bir
Advocacy and Organizing Director
919-660-3651