Service is the civic responsibility of every community member, and many FGCU students already make community service part of their lives.  By making service-learning a component of our undergraduate degree programs and offering these opportunities to all students, FGCU acknowledges the importance of service as a learning tool.  Through service-learning experiences, you will learn about yourself, your community, have the opportunity to use your analytical and communication skills, receive practical experience, and develop a continuing interest in service.  Experiences gained through service-learning courses will have a direct correlation and relevancy to the knowledge and skills being taught in the classroom.

Reflecting on Your Service-Learning Experiences:

Reflecting on your service-learning experience provides an opportunity for learning, growth, and development.  The most productive reflective activities occur immediately after you complete a service activity or occur periodically during the course of long-term service commitments.  In fact, reflection links learning to service and distinguishes service-learning from community service.  Formal reflection activities are a planned part of service-learning courses, and students are encouraged to engage in reflection in their independent service-learning activities as well.

The methods listed below can be used as reflective activities in the classroom or for your independent service-learning experiences:

• Keep a journal.  Record your experiences.  Journaling is a very effective way to reflect on your service-learning experiences over time and is often required in service-learning courses.
• Participate in a web site discussion group.   Faculty members and students are invited to use the Forum section of the EaglesConnect web site to post questions or make statements regarding service-learning to facilitate discussions about service-learning issues.
• Talk about it.  Discussing experiences with other students, agency supervisors, and event managers is a great way to learn from your service-learning experiences.