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Service-Learning Newsletter | May 2018

May 31, 2018

Dear Friends,

I cannot believe how quickly this second year of the Center for Service-Learning has flown! The first year was full of so many new things: introductory meetings with non-profits; informational presentations for faculty; deliberations about which resource books to purchase; drafting and editing marketing materials; becoming reacquainted with the ebb and flow of the academic calendar; and research – lots and lots of research – on the theory and practice of service-learning. Each of those new tasks took considerable amounts of time and preparation – everything had to be thoughtfully crafted, revised, tried, evaluated, and then revised again. That laborious process made me more aware of the passing of time. This past year, in contrast, was full of familiar events, people, ideas, courses, and assignments. To be sure, we made improvements, encountered unforeseen challenges, and developed new service-learning components, but since the program’s framework has now begun to take shape, the day-to-day functioning of the Center requires less intentional planning and time runs on with less notice.

I find this accelerated speed both exciting and daunting. In the blink of an eye, I will be writing the closing newsletter for the 2018-2019 academic year – what stories will it contain? As we move forward at a faster and faster rate, it will become ever more important to take moments like this to reflect upon and celebrate these service-learning endeavors. I hope you enjoy this end-of-year newsletter. Thank you for joining us, and we look forward to continuing the story with you in the fall!

–Meredith Stoops, Coordinator of Service-Learning

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