Toward More Transformative Service-Learning: Experiences From an Urban Environmental Problem-Solving Class

Author from Cleveland State University notes that one concern that arises during student participation in urban service-learning is the often marked difference in life experience between university students and the people in the urban communities in which they serve, a difference which may have a detrimental effect on the experiences of students and community members alike. This paper describes use of a transformative service-learning model to design and implement an environmentally-focused service-learning class structured to sensitize students to the needs of the community and to enhance the community's capacity to resolve environmental problems.