Why take a Service-Learning Course?

Service-learning courses ideally operate within the larger goal of academic community engagement, an approach to learning that integrates academic instruction with meaningful service and experience. Service learning allows students to apply classroom theories to real-world challenges while fostering civic responsibility, critical thinking, and both personal and professional growth. Its core components include:

• Academic Connection: the service is directly tied to a specific course curriculum and its learning objectives.
• Community Relevance: the service addresses a genuine, community-identified need rather than a fabricated project.
• Structured Reflection: students participate in guided discussions, journals, or assignments to analyze their service experience and connect it back to what they learned in class.

Interested students can search the Schedule of Classes for such courses by entering “service learning” in the Attribute search field.   

The Community Engagement Certificate

The Community Engagement Certificate recognizes students who have participated in a significant number of service-learning courses throughout their collegiate career and have distinguished themselves by demonstrating an outstanding level of commitment to community engagement and social responsibility.

To earn the Community Engagement Certificate, students must complete:

• All requirements for graduation with a 3.0 GPA or higher
• Four courses (12 hours) carrying the “service-learning” attribute 
• One Community Engagement capstone project or experience decided upon and approved by the student and the certificate coordinator.

Want to learn more? Email Dr. Brent James (jamesba@appstate.edu).