Service-Learning Fellows Program

In the Times of COVID-19 & Systemic Racial Injustice

At Purdue and across the nation, the COVID-19 pandemic has shifted courses and service opportunities to online platforms, and systemic racial injustice is gaining ever more nation-wide attention. Set among this backdrop, instructors in partnership with service-learning staff and community partners will explore where service-learning fits into this new narrative. Together, participants will collaboratively develop the skills and tools needed to deliver effective, mutually beneficial service-learning courses. 

 

The Office of Engagement invites applications for the semester-long Spring 2021 Service-Learning Fellows Program designed to foster the development and institutionalization of service-learning courses and curricula, projects, and scholarly pursuits at Purdue, as well as strengthen collaborative efforts and outcomes in communities. Faculty (including non-tenure track) and graduate student instructors seeking to implement service-learning pedagogy under today’s shifting circumstances in the 2021-2022 academic year are encouraged to apply. Up to $3,000 is available per project ($2,000 instructor discretionary funds and $1,000 community partner project).

 

Fellowship Terms of Service Spring 2021

  • Collaboratively develop a plan for course and project implementation with community partner and Service-Learning Director
  • Participate in 8 cohort meetings
  • Submit: service-learning course syllabus, course curriculum map, learning contract, final report
  • Apply for the Purdue University Scholarship of Engagement Fellows Program, Indiana Campus Compact grant or other equivalent engagement and service-learning grants, and/or produce a scholarly contribution, i.e., annual Purdue Engagement & Service-Learning Summit
  • ontribute to the assessment of service-learning (instructor, student, community partner assessments)

 

Expected Uses of Funds

  • No funds may be used for salaries or honoraria.
  • Funds may be used for travel needed to support the course/project.
  • Funds may be used for materials, supplies, publicity, printing, postage, digital platform technologies, etc. needed to support the course/project.
  • Funds may be used for professional development related to the project.
  • Funds may be used to support an intern or undergraduate/graduate research directly related to the project with approval by appropriate unit leadership.

 

Note: All activities and fund usage must be in compliance with the Protect Purdue guidelines and the standard operating procedures for Experiential Learning.
 

In addition to basic demographic information, the application requires a signature of support from the applicant’s department (SL Departmental support letter 09232020 ) and a service-learning course proposal responding to the prompt below.

 

Questions: Lindsey Payne, Ph.D., paynel@purdue.edu, Director, Service-Learning, Office of Engagement, Purdue University 

College

Prompt

At Purdue, service-learning is defined as a subset of service engagement, and is a course-based, credit-bearing educational experience in which students:

  • Participate in an organized service activity that meets community-identified needs;
  • Use knowledge and skills directly related to a course or discipline; and
  • Reflect on the service activity in such a way as to gain further understanding of course content, a broader appreciation of the discipline, and an enhanced sense of personal values and civic responsibility.

 

In no more than two single-spaced pages, 12-font, describe your potential course and motivation for participating in this program using the following headings: 

  • Motivation for Participation: Consider discussing personal, professional, community motivations; intentions for increasing service-learning and engagement on campus; creating meaningful community impacts.
  • Course Information: Describe the potential course in which you will be incorporating service-learning, including learning outcomes and a brief course description.
  • Service-Activity: Describe the potential service activities—virtual or remote activities are acceptable
  • Connection to Course Content: Provide a brief explanation for how the course content and/or discipline link to the service activity, including potential reflection activities to foster this connection.

 

Please note, you do not need to have a partner identified as the service-learning staff will help develop these partnerships

 
Please upload your proposal and departmental support letter below.