Heart of Partnerships, (The): Communication and Relationships

It's no great surprise that, according to the community organization staff interviewed by the authors of this chapter, an important factor in the success of service-learning is they type of relationship they have with their partner higher education institutions. An important component of this relationship is the nature of the communication between the nonprofit staff and higher education institution representative, which differs depending on the size and nature of the institution and the structure in place for community engagement.

The following data, and more importantly the words of the community partners who were interviewed, tell the stories of their relationships and communication with higher education institutions. The authors discuss the data through the following categories: the need for positive relationships and mutual understanding; the value of good communication; what happens when the communication breaks down; and how to improve communication. (authors)