1. Sustained Service-Learning @ Lewis & Clark College
Harold McNaron

2. Barbara Jacoby’s Service-Learning Definition
Community service
Learning outcomes
Ongoing reflection
SLS uses this definition of service-learning, which is inclusive of co-curricular projects like ours & even extra-academic service-learning projects

3. Tania Mitchell’s Critical Service-Learning
Names social change as goal
Redistributes power
Consists of authentic relationships
SLS uses Mitchell’s model as a guide in service-learning partnership & project initiation and management

4. Lee Ann Bell’s Social Justice Definition
GOAL
PROCESS
Full & equal participation of all groups
Society mutually shaped to meet needs
Equitable distribution of resources
Physical & psychological security
Everyone has self-determination, agency
Interconnectedness & social responsibility
Democratic
Inclusive
collaborative
SLS utilizes Bell’s dual definition of social justice as a way to distinguish from heavenly “pie in the sky” SJ & the everyday actions we can utilize for SJ. Also, we understand SJ to relate to a critical power analysis that acknowledges systems of oppression (eg. racism, transphobia, sexism) & the resulting identity group-based disparities - which we hope to chip away at via our community partnership work.

5. Ok, so how do we practice this stuff?
Collaboratively written, assessed partnership agreements
Long-term partnerships that change shape to fit present realities of the work
Student staff training re: these definitions, theories, curriculum design, etc
Awards & payments to community partners in acknowledgement of their role as co-educators (via tools & materials money or honoraria payments - only for some programs currently)

6. Assessment - Program Scope
School year
# SSL projects 55 54 63
# SSL partners 5 9
# SSL student participants (includes duplicates)
260
300
283
# SSL project person-hours
876
1411
895
This gives you an idea of the scope of our Sustained Service-Learning Program, which operates throughout the school year. The photo shows a group of students raking leaves at Wisdom of the Elders, a Native American-run organization with a community garden in East Portland.

7. Assessment - Student Leaders
Your understanding of social justice
How do you relate that to SLS’s work?
Equity
Critical engagement
intersectional
It’s much more complex than I originally understood
SLS has helped me to better articulate what social justice is
Social justice is related to service-learning and critical reflection
SLS taught me that social justice relates to all stories being valid
SLS taught me that there are good and bad ways to do social justice
This is an assessment of our critical service-learning curriculum for SLS student staff. The photo is from a recent staff retreat.

8. Assessment - Community Partners
successes
challenges
Lewis & Clark students are enthusiastic about learning and sharing themselves
Communication between Lewis & Clark and agency representative
SLS’ collaborative processes
The transportation Lewis & Clark provides
Community partners learn with students
SLS connecting community partners to other resources on campus
Partners request that we do more pre-screening and training with students
Differing calendars and other time constraints limit partnership success
Transportation issues
SLS’ web resources could be updated, expanded
Partners’ confusion about SLS partnership options and protocols
Students disinterested in what community partners offer
The dominant themes from the last 4 years of annual community partner meetings (usually have new & returning community partner representatives at these). The photo shows a student conversing with a guest at Portland Animal Welfare Team, a nonprofit vet clinic for pets of low-income and houseless Portlanders.

9. Questions & Comments Harold McNaron
Director of Student Leadership and Service
Lewis & Clark College