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Fact Sheets

Recognizing Service-Learning in Higher Education through Minors and Certificates

Source: Rachel L. Vaughn and Sarena D. Seifer, Community-Campus Partnerships for Health, June 2004. Updated February 2012 with resources from Dan W. Butin.

Minors and certificate programs focused on service-learning, leadership, and/or community service are becoming increasingly available for undergraduate students throughout the U.S. Minors and certificate programs tend to focus in one of three areas: 1) A minor or certificate earned by engaging in community service and service-learning activities, 2) A minor or certificate earned by learning about the theoretical roots of service-learning and engaging in service-learning activities and 3) A minor or certificate focused on leadership and social change, for which a requirement is engagement in service-learning activities. A small number of higher education institutions offer a major area of concentration that focuses on service-learning.

Information on service-learning minors and certificate programs can be useful for students seeking to select an educational institution that supports and promotes community engagement. These resources can also be useful for higher education faculty and administrators who are seeking to design a service-learning recognition program for their institution. And certainly, information about these programs can be helpful for community partners who are looking for examples of how students can tie their community experiences into their academic studies.

Minors and certificate programs for service-learning, community service and leadership are a relatively new phenomenon in higher education. The examples below are highlights from across the United States and reflect a sample of those programs that are available. Publications focusing on these programs are scant, and research articles have not yet been developed. A rich area of inquiry for future studies may be the effect that minors and certificate programs in service-learning have on students, faculty, and the community.

Institutions offering service-learning or related majors:

Institutions offering service-learning or related minors:

Institutions offering service-learning or related certificates:

© 2012 Learn and Serve America's National Service-Learning Clearinghouse.
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