Service Loitering: White Pre-Service Teachers Preparing for Diversity in an Underserved Community

 Despite teacher preparation programs that focus on issues of multiculturalism and that infuse service-learning pedagogy, many White pre-service teachers still graduate and enter America's classrooms with very little knowledge of diversity-- particularly in underserved communities. America's teaching force-- past, present, and future-- is primarily White, making up the critical mass of teachers who will serve children from diverse communities. Therefore, the authors argue that it becomes that prospective teachers have productive service-learning experiences that prepare them to be multicultural community educators. They begin the dialogue by sharing the rationale for multicultural service-learning with White pre-service teachers. Second, they sketch a multicultural service-learning case study of White teacher candidates who assisted a local African American museum that serves the surrounding county, school districts, and community. Third, they consider implications of this effort on service-learning and social justice-oriented teacher education. The authors conclude with several recommendations for university stakeholders.