During the 2023-24 academic year, 198 service-learning courses — an increase of 14% from the previous year — were offered across 33 departments at Fresno State. More than 4,200 students enrolled in those courses and helped elevate the university to its 15th consecutive year of providing over 1 million hours of service to the community.
Dr. Matthew Jendian was given a task nearly 30 years ago to incorporate service-learning into his sociology courses at Fresno State.
Sure, why not, the new adjunct professor thought at the time. After he taught his first service-learning class, he noticed a change in his students — they were even more engaged and experiencing deeper learning.
Service-learning is a high-impact practice that allows students to learn through action. It can be as simple as serving at a homeless shelter or packing grocery bags for low-income families, or it can be learning how to research, write grants and implement full-scale projects that have an impact in the community, Jendian said.
“Last year we had more service-learning courses than ever,” said Chris Fiorentino, director of the Richter Center. “This is thanks to dozens of dedicated faculty members who contribute the extra time needed to develop and teach these courses.”
Read more at Fresno State News.
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