Learning Objective #1: Describe the core components of a service-learning program

Learning Objective #2: Design basic strategies to develop and implement a service-learning program

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Service-learning has been used as a strategy to engage students for several decades. The benefits of service-learning have been well-documented and include positive gains in both student and community domains. While service-learning is a growing trend in nursing education, programs are sporadic and often confined to one course or one semester. The purpose of this presentation is to equip the nursing educator with the knowledge and skills to successfully develop, implement, and evaluate service-learning programs across nursing curricula. Examples of thriving service-learning programs will be presented to illustrate the value of service-learning in nursing education. These programs include blood pressure and blood glucose screening, and cardiovascular disease and diabetes prevention programs. The audience will be presented with a brief overview of service-learning concepts generally defined as critical to service-learning programs. These concepts include: • An academic component to which the service is connected • A reciprocal relationship between the university and the community • The service meets a genuine community need identified by the community • Reflection is included in course requirements • A civic context of the service is examined (COPSL, Indiana University, 2001) The audience will then become acquainted with blueprints for the design and implementation of service-learning programs that meet both students' academic requirements and a community need. These blueprints include “recipes for success”, which lay out key components to service-learning programs. The blueprints also include “tips from the trade”, namely, common pitfalls to service-learning programs and how to avoid them. Finally, the audience will be introduced to tested evaluation tools available across disciplines, and sample for both nursing academic and community outcome components from the presenters' service-learning programs. This is a critical step in substantiating the value of service-learning programs, and for advancing scholarship in this arena.