What kind of agencies should I work with in my service learning course? There are a lot of options. Here are a few tips:
Check out our list of current agency partners . Would any of these be a good match for your course? We are always forming new partnerships with new agencies. You are welcome to develop your own community partnerships in consultation with the Office of Service Learning.
Consider the following questions: What kinds of tasks do you want your students to perform? What populations would you like them to work with? What issues would you like them to engage? Are there particular neighborhoods where you'd like them to work? Consider these questions in relation to key themes, topics and concepts you hope to cover in the class.
Consider the agency's schedule, staffing, capacity, stability, mission, location, and ability to adequately supervise students. What sorts of projects would benefit the agency? Treat the agency's needs as equal to your own needs and your students' needs. In service learning, agency partners are co-educators with faculty.
Generally, agencies that have multiple staff members invested in the service learning relationship tend to be better partners, especially permanent professional staff and directors.
In all communication with agencies, be extremely clear about expectations.
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