Centre for Global Challenges announces Community Service Learning strategy
Following initial success of a number of Community Service Learning projects such as Da Vinci and tic-to-tic, the Centre for Global Challenges wishes to expand CSL opportunities for students from the faculty of Humanities and the faculty of Law, Economics and Governance in which it is situated, as well as for students from other faculties across Utrecht 木瓜福利影视.
Since half February, a UGlobe CSL team is working on the development and implementation of a CSL strategy. This includes designing new projects, launching a CSL platform that connects societal partners working on global challenges and teaching staff who want to integrate CSL into their courses, and promoting knowledge exchange.
Working together on societal issues
At the Centre, Community Service Learning (CSL) is defined as experiential education in which students, teachers and external parties work together on societal issues. CSL integrates community service with academic study, reflection and analysis to enrich the learning experience, teach civic responsibility and strengthen communities. Community Service Learning fits well within the scope of the Centre because it strives to tackle global challenges by focusing on local community interventions. UGlobe CSL programmes are designed around themes intersecting human rights, conflict & security, sustainability, and equity.
Starting in February with a brief needs analysis, the UGlobe CSL team reviewed existing information on CSL within Utrecht 木瓜福利影视 and held conversations with relevant academic staff and students across the university who had experience with CSL. This helped identify potential facilitators and barriers towards implementing new CSL projects. One key result was the need for upscaling CSL without adding more workload for teaching staff and emphasizing integration of various projects and initiatives.
Networking meetings
Working from home since half March, the CSL team was still able to hold networking meetings to explore possible collaboration with various societal organizations and research groups including the Julius Centre, the SDG Alliance, Airwars, Dynamics of Youth and Migration and Societal Change. In order to support further sustainable development of CSL programmes, the Centre is exploring funding opportunities, both internal and external.
Toolbox for design and implementation
Lastly, the CSL team is designing a CSL toolbox for UU teachers with reusable materials supporting the design and implementation of CSL. To continue CSL projects in times of COVID-19 pandemic and to work with communities at a distance, we are also exploring E-CSL. At the end of June, the Centre, in collaboration with the Special Interest Group-CSL and Vrije Universiteit Amsterdam, is organizing an online workshop about e-CSL in which teachers from various institutions exchange knowledge and experiences on how to design CSL projects for a 1.5 meter society.
Looking ahead, the Centre hopes to further develop and implement the CSL strategy in the upcoming years, by successfully implementing multiple CSL projects and thematic programmes, experimenting with the CSL platform and promoting knowledge exchange. More information about the upcoming CSL event and further development of the CSL programme will soon be available on the Centre鈥檚 website. If you are interested in collaborating on these projects, please contact Babette Berrocal at b.berrocal@uu.nl.