For Community Partners

The Service-Learning Program at Saint Michael’s College is dedicated to ensuring that the service performed by our students meets legitimate community needs while advancing academic learning. To achieve this goal, we turn to the local community to assist us in developing meaningful, relevant service projects for our students.

How does service-learning differ from community service?

Service-learning is a comprehensive teaching method in which community service is connected to academic instruction through critical, thoughtful reflection. Unlike co-curricular volunteer activities, such as those sponsored by our MOVE (Mobilization of Volunteer Efforts) Office, service-learning programs involve students in organized community service that corresponds to the academic content of a specific course.

This program strives to ensure that both the providers (our students) and recipients (our community partners) benefit equally throughout the course of the service; our students make actual academic gains, and community partners see legitimate needs met as a result of the collaboration.

What are the benefits of being a community partner for a service-learning course?

  • You will work with motivated, capable student volunteers, many of whom will be armed with a relevant skill set, as they are studying topics that relate directly to their service work and are encouraged by faculty members to synthesize the two experiences.
  • You will serve as co-educators, fostering a sense of civic responsibility and commitment to community service in the future workforce.
  • You will increase awareness and support of your organization and cause, not only among the students participating, but throughout the campus as a whole.
  • You will create, or deepen, a bond with Saint Michael’s College.

What does the average project/program entail?

  • A substantial service opportunity, beyond a single-day event
  • A legitimate connection to the mission of the organization
  • An ability to accommodate a group of students, rather than an individual
  • A distinct learning opportunity for students involved
  • A need that requires, at most, a semester to complete

Examples of these projects include:

  • Research and evaluation (survey work, etc.)
  • Business plans and marketing strategies
  • Education and awareness
  • On-going commitments, volunteering with your clientele

If you believe there is the potential for a service-learning partnership with Saint Michael’s College, please complete the Community Partner Interest Form [PDF] for your organization, even if you do not have a project or program in mind at the moment. The Service-Learning Program will review your request, and work to connect you with a faculty member. While we cannot guarantee that all requests can be met, we will do our best.

For more information please contact Kim Parr, the Coordinator of Service-Learning, via email at kparr@smcvt.edu or phone at 802.654.2848.