Office of Community Engagement and Service Learning

Program Description: Service- Learning, as a pedagogical approach is designed to combine reflection with participation in community-based projects to achieve specific learning outcomes. It is credit bearing in that it is part of an academic course or program requirement. Through service- learning, students develop a more integrated understanding of theory, practice, and values.

Focus

• Providing quality student community/social engagement that aims to develop critical thinking, civic responsibility, leadership and citizenship, strengthen the value of service, compassion
• Integrating field/community experiences with classroom theories and the students’ own lives;
• Facilitating student and community interaction that results in mutual benefits;
• Reflecting on and drawing out meaning from the students’ community engagement;
• Strengthening the partnership between the university and the partner communities

Service-learning projects involve working with government, non-government, and people’s organizations and institutions some of which the university has established long-standing partnerships in community outreach.

Students will select service opportunities from a wide range of possibilities, including: Children (abandoned, neglected, abused, and or  with disabilities); Youth (out of school, disadvantaged, and or in conflict with the law); Women, Farmers and fisher folks; Disaster survivors; Cooperatives Poverty; Community empowerment; Environment; Health; Housing/homelessness; Livelihood; Marine conservation; Special education

Why Choose Silliman University’s Service-Learning Program?

1. Strong and sustained ties with partner agencies and communities
2. High quality service-learning/study abroad program – strongly committed to helping service-learners understand the technical, cultural, political and social aspects of their community engagement.
3. Service-learning core team members have years of experience working with college students and designing international programs that cater to the personal interests and academic goals of our participants.
4. Its international partners come from the Europe, USA, and Asia.
5. Employs the buddy system where for every team of international service-learners there is a “buddy” who is a Silliman student who works with the team for the entire duration (cultural guide, community facilitator, translator, fellow learner and a friend).
6. A choice of a Home stay scheme – service-learners have the opportunity to live with selected Filipino host families in the community as part of cultural and community immersion.
7. Provides a variety in the duration of the service-learning program – one week, two-week, three-week, four-week or more of credit-bearing community engagements.
8. Conducts an orientation, site monitoring, weekly reflection session, and evaluation of the service-learning experience.