Translating Service-Learning Theory into Practice in Occupational Therapy Education

Each year for the past five years, 40 to 60 students enrolled in Neurobehavioral Interventions II, a second-year occupational therapy course, have engaged in a service-learning project that is integrated into the course. This chapter describes the process of successfully designing, implementing, evaluating, and refining the service-learning project. Following a description of the course and the service-learning experience, the author will provide a look back at why and how the service-learning project was initially designed and how it has evolved. Service-learning principles and strategies that provided guidance during the development and evolution will be discussed. The next section describes the logistics of the current service-learning project, which includes identifying and matching participants from the community with students, managing ongoing communication, and integrating the experience with course content and structure. The chapter closes with the author's reflections on lessons learned and thoughts for future directions in using service-learning in occupational therapy education. Appendix A offers a sample description of the project within a consent form. Appendix B contains an overview of the service-learning project. Appendix C is a reflection synthesis assignment. [author]