This article covers the importance of creating and developing agency in community partners when engaging in community-based learning. Often when faculty incorporate service- or community-based learning into their classes, we measure the “learning” part but not the “service” or “community.” Focusing more on the latter involves working “with” community partners instead of working “for” community partners, and this focus creates a more effective experience for all stakeholders involved. Achieving this goal of working “with” partners not only requires collaboration but also requires an effort to create and develop a sense of agency among the community partners. In the current teaching note, collaborative projects between undergraduate sociology classes and a local senior center are discussed. These projects show enhanced learning for the college students as well as an enhanced experience for community partners due to the emphasis on establishing and nurturing agency among community partners.
AllisonJayGedimanDanTerkelStuds, eds. 2007. This I Believe: The Personal Philosophies of Remarkable Men and Women. New York: Holt Paperbacks.
2.
AltpeterMaryMarshallVictoria W.2003. “Making Aging ‘Real’ for Undergraduates.” Educational Gerontology29(2):739–56.
3.
AngiulloLorenWhitbourneSusan Krauss. 1996. “The Effects of Instruction and Experience on College Students’ Attitudes toward the Elderly.” Educational Gerontology22(5):483–95.
4.
BentleyReginaEllisonKathy Jo. 2005. “Impact of a Service-learning Project on Nursing Students.” Nursing Education Perspectives26(5):287–90.
5.
BergBruce L.2004. Qualitative Research Methods. 5th ed.Long Beach, CA: Pearson.
6.
BermanSally. 2006. Service Learning: A Guide to Planning, Implementing, and Assessing Student Projects. 2nd ed.Thousand Oaks, CA: Corwin Press.
7.
BlouinDavid D.PerryEvelyn M.2009. “Whom Does Service Learning Really Serve? Community-based Organizations’ Perspectives on Service Learning.” Teaching Sociology37(2):120–35.
8.
Boyle-BaiseMarilynnSleeterChristine. 2000. “Community Based Service-learning for Multicultural Teacher Education.” Educational Foundations14(2):33–50.
9.
BreunigMary. 2005. “Turning Experiential Education and Critical Pedagogy Theory into Praxis.” Journal of Experiential Education28(2):106–22.
10.
BringleRobert G.HatcherJulie A.1996. “Implementing Service Learning in Higher Education.” Journal of Higher Education67(1):221–39.
11.
CummingsSherryGalambosColleen. 2002. “Predictors of Graduate Students’ Interest in Aging-related Work.” Journal of Gerontological Social Work9(3):77–94.
12.
DorfmanLorraine T.MurtySusanIngramJerry G.EvansRonnie J.2002. “Incorporating Intergenerational Service-learning into an Introductory Gerontology Course.” Pp. 219–40 in Advancing Gerontological Social Work Education, edited by MellorM. J.IvryJ.New York: Haworth.
GorelikYehuditDamon-RodriguezJoAnnFunderburkBeanSolomonDavid H.2000. “Undergraduate Interest in Aging: Is It Affected by Contact with Older Adults?” Educational Gerontology26(1):623–38.
15.
HarrisLori A.DollingerStephanie. 2001. “Participation in a Course on Aging: Knowledge, Attitudes, and Anxiety about Aging in Oneself and Others.” Educational Gerontology27(8):657–67.
16.
HegemanCarol R.HorowitzBeverlyTepperLynnPillemerKarlSchultzLisa. 2002. “Service Learning in Elder Care: Ten Years of Growth and Assessment.” Pp. 177–94 in Advancing Gerontological Social Work Education, edited by MellorM. J.IvryJ.New York: Haworth.
17.
IvesBobObenchainKathryn. 2006. “Experiential Education in the Classroom and Academic Outcomes: For Those Who Want It All.” Journal of Experiential Education29(1):61–77.
18.
KaneMichael N.2004. “Predictors for Future Work with Elders.” Journal of Gerontological Social Work42(3/4):19–38.
19.
LashleyMary. 2007. “Nurses on a Mission: A Professional Service-learning Experience with the Inner-city Homeless. Nursing Education Perspectives28(1):24–26.
20.
LewisTammy L.2004. “Service Learning for Social Change? Lessons from a Liberal Arts College.” Teaching Sociology32(1):94–108.
21.
MarkusGregory G.HowardJeffery P. F.KingDavid C.1993. “Integrating Community Service and Classroom Instruction Enhances Learning: Results from an Experiment.” Educational Evaluation and Policy Analysis15(4):410–19.
22.
MasonSusan E.SandersGertrude R.2004. “Social Work Student Attitudes on Working with Older Clients.” Journal of Gerontological Social Work42(3/4):61–75.
23.
McPhersonKate. 1989. Enriching Service through Learning. Vancouver, British Columbia: Project Service Leadership.
24.
MehraBharat. 2004. “Service Learning in Library and Information Science (LIS) Education: Connecting Research and Practice to Community.” InterActions: UCLA Journal of Education and Information Studies1(1):Article 3. Retrieved March 11, 2012 (http://escholarship.org/uc/item/6hz625sv).
25.
MooneyLinda A.EdwardsBob. 2001. “Experiential Learning in Sociology: Service Learning and Other Community-based Learning Initiatives.” Teaching Sociology29(2):181–94.
26.
NystrandMartin. 1997. Opening Dialogue: Understanding the Dynamics of Language and Learning in the English Classroom. New York: Teachers College Press.
27.
PompaLori. 2002. “Service-learning as Crucible: Reflections on Immersion, Context, Power, and Transformation.” Michigan Journal of Community Service Learning9(1):67–76.
28.
PompaLoriCrabbeMelissa. 2004. The Inside-Out Prison Exchange Program: Exploring Issues of Crime and Justice Behind the Walls, Instructor’s Manual. Rev. ed.Philadelphia: Temple University.
29.
RosenbergerCynthia. 2000. “Beyond Empathy: Developing Critical Consciousness through Service Learning.” Pp. 23–45 in Integrating Service-learning and Multicultural Education in Colleges and Universities, edited by O’GradyC.Mahwah, NJ: Lawrence Erlbaum.
30.
SimonsLoriClearyBeverly. 2005. “Student and Community Perceptions of the ‘Value Added’ for Service-learners.” Journal of Experiential Education28(2):164–88.
31.
SteinGarth. 2008. The Art of Racing in the Rain. New York: Harper.
32.
TynjalaPaivi. 1998. “Writing as a Tool for Constructive Learning: Students’ Learning Experiences During an Experiment.” Higher Education36(2):209–30.
33.
WadeRahima. 1997. Community Service-learning: A Guide to Including Service in the Public School Curriculum. Albany, NY: State University of New York Press.
34.
WrightMary C.2000. “Getting More Out of Less: The Benefits of Short-term Experiential Learning in Undergraduate Sociology Courses.” Teaching Sociology28(2):116–26.
