Service Learning Overview

In 2003, the Institute of Medicine (IOM) described public health as “an essential part of the training of citizens,” a body of knowledge needed to achieve a public health literate citizenry. To achieve that end, the IOM recommended that “all undergraduates should have access to education in public health.” Service-learning, a type of experiential learning, is an effective and appropriate vehicle for teaching public health and developing public health literacy. While relatively new to public health, service-learning has been shown to enhance students' understanding of course relevance, change student and faculty attitudes, encourage support for community initiatives, help students understand the factors associated with health disparities and ways of ameliorating them, as well as increase student and faculty volunteerism. Grounded in collaborative relationships, service-learning grows from authentic partnerships between communities and educational institutions. Through emphasizing reciprocal learning and reflective practice, service-learning helps students develop skills needed to be effective in working with a wide range of communities and ultimately achieve social change. With public health's enduring focus on social justice, introducing students to public health through the vehicle of service-learning helps ensure that our learners are able to contribute to developing healthy communities, thus achieving the IOM's vision.

Through this overview of service-learning, participants will see ways it has been used as a pedagogic methodology to promote learning through a cycle of action and reflection. Students apply what they are learning in the classroom to community issues, and at the same time reflect on their experiences as they strive to achieve specific objectives with and for the community as well as deeper understanding and skills for themselves. Service-learning programs must have an academic context and be designed so that the service enhances the learning and the learning enhances the service. In short, the service component is integrated into the course curriculum. In public health education, service-learning can fit well into core public health courses as well as be featured as part of public health electives and practicum experiences.