UMKC | Student Life

What is Service Learning?
Simply defined, "service-learning combines service and learning objectives with the intent that the activity changes both the recipient and the provider of the service. This is accomplished by combining service tasks with structured opportunities that link the task to self-reflection, self-discovery, and the acquisition and comprehension of values, skills, and knowledge content" (www.servicelearning.org).

In service learning three entities come together: students, community organizations and colleges and universities. The student is attempting to connect his or her self-directing learning desires to contribute and learn. The University is attempting to enhance the student's level of knowledge and learning and the community organization is trying to meet their organizational needs and increase their level of community visibility. In order for service learning to be a success, all parties need to work together and be committed to the process.

For more information about the Service Learning Initiative at UMKC go to UMKC's Center for the City.

Objectives & Goals of the Talent Scholars Service Learning Project:

1. Enhance self-teaching abilities.
2. Teach positive values.
3. Allow you the opportunity to develop and enhance leadership, communication and interpersonal skills and abilities.
4. Empower you as learners, teachers, achievers and leaders.
5. Invite you to become members of the Kansas City community.
6. Teach job skills and offers preparations for careers after college.
7. Foster civic engagement and raise awareness regarding issues of diversity and social justice.
8. Enhance professional awareness, for although Talent Scholar participants may have different academic majors and
professional goals. students' academic success and professional success typically requires interactions with and
understanding of people from diverse backgrounds (i.e. race, sexual orientation, religious beliefs, economic status, etc.).

Service Learning & Reflection Process:

The critical component of successful service-learning programs is "reflection". Reflection describes the process of deriving meaning and knowledge from experience and occurs throughout the time that students are engaged in the service-learning project. Effective reflection engages both students and instructors in a thoughtful and thought-provoking process that consciously connects learning with experience.

Informally, reflection occurs when participants dialogue with their peers about the experiences and reactions that each individual is having.Â Ideally, participants will commute to and from their sites together in order to facilitate this informal reflection process.

Formally reflection will be accomplished by completing a number of reflection pieces.Â Each Talent Scholar submits to the Program Administrator a number of guided reflection papers.Â These reflection papers give participants an opportunity to explore feelings and reactions to the service process and to reflect upon issues of diversity, civic engagement and social justice.

Reflection Questions for Participants:

Three refection pieces and a final evaluation of the experience will be submitted and reviewed by the Talent Scholar Program Administrator. The first reflection piece will be due following the completion of participants first 5 hours of service contact with the agency. The second reflection piece will be due after the completion of 15 hours of service. A final reflection paper will be due within two weeks of completing the service project.

Reflection Question #1 Directions: Please respond to these questions after your first 5 hours of service have been completed. Answers should be typed and appropriate time and thought should be taken when completing these questions. Most questions can be answered in 1-2 paragraphs.

What are you doing at your agency?
How has this experience been? - Positive, Negative or Both?
What do you still hope to gain from this experience?
What are your values and are they compatible to the values of the agency or people you are serving?

Reflection Question #2 Directions: Please respond to these questions following the completion of 15 service hours.Â Answers should be typed and appropriate time and thought should be taken when completing these questions. Most questions can be answered in 1-2 paragraph

What have you been doing at your agency?
How has this experience challenged your personal values and challenged you as a person?
What impact, if any do you feel that your actions are having?
Why do you feel that as a whole it appears that Americans are no longer civically engaged and willing to serve others?

Final Reflection Paper Directions: Your final reflection paper should at least be two pages, double spaced and be typed in 12 in Times New Roman Font. Your final paper should incorporate the following ideas and themes:

What have you learned about yourself through this experience?
In what ways, if any, has your sense of self, your values, your sense of "community," your willingness to serve others, and your self-confidence/self-esteem been impacted or altered through this experience?
Any realizations, insights, or especially strong lessons learned or half-glimpsed?
How does this experience and these realizations, insights and lessons compliment or contrast with what you're or have learned in classes?