Service Learning
Do you want to make a difference in your community but aren't sure how? Do it through education! Take what you've learned in the classroom and give back to your community through service learning.
what is service learning
Benefits of Service Learning
Makes
learning relevant through real world experiences.
Enables
personal growth and development, additional academic learning, along with improvement in interpersonal skills.
Allows
you to test out learning theories outside of the classroom.
Increases
retention and understanding.
Fosters
goodwill between our college and the community.
Give Back With Service Learning
Dear Jack Foundation Service Learning Project
As part of a heartfelt initiative with the Dear Jack Foundation, students craft short,
uplifting messages for cancer patients—both in and outside the classroom. The project,
led by Dr. Corbin, an English professor at San Jac, is open to anyone who wants to
make a difference. Once completed, the cards are sent to the Dear Jack Foundation
in Colorado, where they are reviewed and shared with cancer patients across the country.
The impact of this program is remarkable with more than 93% of Letters with Love recipients reporting that these messages had a significant and positive impact on their mental health.
Types of Service Learning Projects Offered
Students apply their skills in reading and composition to writing greeting cards to
senior citizens across the nation.
Students apply their skills in reading and composition to writing greeting cards to
senior citizens across the nation.
Students identify, document, and catalogue species of birds and amphibians that reside or migrate through Sheldon Lake State Park as part of a larger study to document biodiversity in Texas and this region of the country.
Students contribute to the conservation & preservation of the Battleground, Museum, and Library at the San Jacinto Monument.
Students create drawings to complement writing on greeting cards from the English
1301 course's cards for seniors and cancer patients.
Students volunteer at the Houston Food Bank and deliver an informative speech about the value of helping others.
Students volunteer at a local senior citizen home to record and transcribe stories of veterans.
Students write letters to cancer patients ages 18 - 35, and learn about the value of perseverance in their lives through text and service.
Students volunteer at the Houston Food Bank and write a sociological paper on their experience. The students' contributions are helping the hunger needs of the Houston-Galveston area, which includes all of the food pantries at San Jacinto College.
Bring Smiles to Seniors' partnership with San Jacinto College benefits both students and seniors. By sharing personalized greeting cards, students make seniors feel valued and loved. This collaboration bridges generations and promotes kindness, teaching students early on the importance of acknowledging and caring for seniors.
Service Learning in Action
San Jac biology students partnered with Sheldon Lake State Park for their service learning project. This project was broken up into two parts:
- Service
- Identified & catalogued species of birds & amphibians
- Planted coastal prairie & wetland plants in restoration areas
- Removed invasive species from restoration areas
- Learning
- Identified the major phyla of life with an emphasis on plants & animals, including the basis for classification, structural and physiological adaptations, evolutionary history, and ecological significance.
- Described basic animal physiology and homeostasis as maintained by organ systems.
FAQ's
Service learning focuses directly on applying class material to a real world service project. Students learn through doing.
In service-learning at least one of the major assignments involves assisting others in the community. Traditional classes don't always have this component, but both types of courses cover the same learning objectives.
At least 10 hours of a semester long class will be devoted to working with a community partner. The 10 hour bench mark can be met through both in class and out of class time.
Yes; not only will you gain valuable and marketing skills, but you will have the opportunity
to give back to the community. This will provide networking opportunities among peers
and the community.
No; the service learning related materials are provided for you with your tuition.
You may, however, incur nominal gasoline costs in the event the community partner
is off-site.
