First Year Service-Learning Information

Resources

Watch Intro to First Year Service Learning

- Aligned in the Jesuit mission of Saint Joseph’s University, your service work will engage you with a particular marginalized population such as people who are experiencing homelessness or who have low incomes, adults with mental or physical disabilities, the elderly or children attending inner-city schools.
- All Saint Joseph University students are required to take English, First Year Seminar, Philosophy, and Social Science courses. You can choose to take one of these courses as a service-learning class (in a small setting with peer mentors). There is also a special course section designated for Education majors.
- Students attend class two or three times a week and volunteer weekly for three hours for both the fall and spring semesters.
- Students volunteer with at least one other person in their class on the same day and at the same time, at the same site for the entire academic year, such as every Monday from 2:30pm-5:30pm at Gesu School's Afterschool Program.
- All service-learning placements are valuable learning experiences. First year students have the opportunity to review all possible placements and report three preferences. While we try to honor student preference, placement occurs with both agency and student’s scheduling compatibility.
- Most of the placements are urban sites located in urban Many of these agencies have worked with the Saint Joseph’s University Service-Learning Program for over twenty years and are committed to the care of our students.
- We provide transportation to most placement sites through the student use of the university vehicle pool. Students can walk or take public transportation to placement organizations close to campus and before the hours of 6pm. Bus passes are provided.
- Students are placed in groups of two or more. First Yearstudents never travel alone.
- Service time begins at the end of September, after you have received orientation, training and had time to ease into college life.
- Service-Learning students engage in reflection dinners and community building activities with their classmates, professors and peer mentors.
- Service partners often remain close friends in college and beyond. Plus many service-learning students report that being involved with our program is the best experience they have had in college.
The students currently taking service-learning courses told us before classes started they were concerned about the time commitment. They asked us to pass some information on to you: it IS possible to fit in the three hours of required service each week. These first year service-learners loved their experience and want others to have the same opportunity they had. They want you to know that you can do it.

Something else they want us to pass on is that service-learning is hard work. It takes time and effort to learn about the lives and hear the stories of adults, and children struggling with mental illness, homelessness and other circumstances keeping them living at the margins of society. Each week, you will encounter vulnerable people who may have difficulty trusting others. You have to put yourself out there. You have to be willing to take risks. You need initiative, motivation, energy and, most of all, compassion. The students working in service-learning courses at Saint Joseph’s are interested in learning what it means to be the people “with and for others” and “in solidarity with those most in need” as the Jesuits espouse.

Service-Learning Students' Thoughts
When you register for fall courses, you can select one of the following courses designated as service-learning. For your information, the list below includes the follow-up Spring semester service-learning course associated with the Fall course. All courses fulfill a General Education Requirement or are noted as major specific.
ENG 101-SL1, Craft of Language, TR 12:30-1:45 p.m., Dr. Green (Fall 2022)
Follow-up Spring semester course: ENG 102-SLR, Texts in Context

ENG 150-SL1, Coming of Age in the City, TR 3:00-4:45 p.m., Dr. Lockridge (Fall 2022)
Follow-up Spring semester course: ENG 102-SLR, Texts in Context

PHL 154-SL1, Moral Foundations, TR 2-3:15 p.m., Dr. Bulthius (Fall 2022)
Follow-up Spring semester course: PHL 150-SL1, Ethics of the Very Young

POL 150-SL1, Diversity and Inequality in the US, MWF 10:10-11 a.m., Dr. Scola (Fall 2022)
Follow-up Spring semester course: PHL 154-SL1, Moral Philosophy

SOC 150-SL1, What’s in a Neighborhood, MW 12:20-1:35 p.m., Dr. Clampet-Lundquist (Fall 2022)
Follow-up Spring semester course: PHL 154-SL2, Moral Foundations

EDU Majors Only:
EDU 150-SL1, Schools and Society, MWF 9-9:55 a.m., Dr. Rodriguez, (Fall ’22)
Follow-up Spring semester course: EDU 151-SLR, Development, Cognition & Learning

Student Perspectives

Ruben J. '20 SL Reflection

Eliza R. '20 SL Reflection

Olivia D., '23 SL Reflection

Patrick R. '23 SL Reflection

First Year Service-Learning Courses

Service experiences will relate to classwork and work will benefit both you and the community partner organizations. Listed below are the service placements associated with each First-Year Service-Learning Course.

Making a Good Match: First-Year Students

Read each placement description listed for your class located below.

Each placement description offers a volunteer profile. This profile will be helpful to you in your decision making process.

Try to determine which site best fits your interests and your personal work style. Some questions to ask yourself, that might be helpful:

What kind of service does the organization provide?
What population does the agency serve?
Are volunteers expected to take initiative at the organization, or are there specific tasks that must be performed by the volunteers?
Are there specific qualifications required by the organization that I may or may not meet?
Am I willing to venture outside of my comfort zone to volunteer at an agency that will support my decision to grow?

In addition to the information provided on the placement description, we encourage you to do your own research and go to the agency website. We do not include agency websites on our placement descriptions for internal, administrative reasons. However, you should be able to access most agencies using common search engines.

When you are on campus and have questions about the service placements you can talk to your Service Scholar who works with your class or visit Post Learning Commons 131 to meet with the Placement Liaison associated with that Community Partner.