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LINKING Service-Learning and the Visual Arts - A Partnership between the J.
Paul Getty Trust and the California State University (2000-2005)
Pictured: CSU Getty Service-Learning Scholars
LINKING Service Learning and the Visual Arts, a partnership between the J. Paul Getty
Trust and California State University (CSU), combined the interests of major cultural and
educational institutions in the Los Angeles area to advance student learning while
providing meaningful service to community arts agencies and local schools. From 2000-2002,
eleven faculty members on six CSU campuses in the Los Angeles area (Dominguez Hills,
Fullerton, Los Angeles, Long Beach, Northridge, and Pomona) were selected as Getty Scholars
in a concerted effort to expand partnerships with local communities through the development
of an array of service-learning courses in the arts.
On-going support from the J. Paul Getty Trust enabled three of the six CSU campuses to
provide additional activities in the 2004-2005 academic year that further supported and
advanced the work initiated by the Getty Scholars. In addition, one of the original Getty
Scholars, Dr. Carol Jeffers, CSU Los Angeles, was able to write a book, Spheres of
Possibility: Linking Service-Learning and the Visual Arts that delves deeply into the
experiences of the faculty, students and communities who participated in the program. The
book, published by the National Art Education Association (NAEA), will be released in
Spring 2006.
To read more about the LINKING Service Learning and the Visual Arts program, please use
the links below:
Objectives | Scholars
| Advisory Committee | Institute
| Reports
Program Objectives
- To foster a better understanding of, and commitment to, the visual arts
- To provide meaningful service to local community art agencies through the development
of service-learning courses in the visual arts on selected CSU campuses
- To promote student learning through active participation in meaningful and planned
experiences in the community that are directly related to course content
- To introduce art agencies in the Los Angeles Multicultural Undergraduate Internship
Program to service-learning pedagogy through the implementation of these new university
courses
- To introduce CSU faculty in the visual arts to service-learning pedagogy through the
development of these new courses and their relationships with the community art
agencies
- To provide funding support and training for CSU faculty through the Getty Service
Learning Scholars Program in order to develop and implement new service-learning
courses
- To create a culture of awareness and support within the visual arts programs of each
CSU campus so that service-learning opportunities can thrive, and the sustainability of
this program is ensured
- To evaluate and disseminate the impact of service-learning courses developed under
this program to students, faculty, and community partners
Objectives | Scholars
| Advisory Committee | Institute
| Reports
Service Learning Institute
The Service-Learning Institute was a comprehensive program of meetings, workshops,
lectures, and other resources structured to facilitate the objectives of the LINKING
Program. Meetings are scheduled for community partners and CSU faculty at various sites
within the program service area, such as the Getty Center, the Watts Towers Art Center, and
Self-Help Graphics. These meetings and workshops are organized around specific topics and
are complemented by reference materials and presentations by community partners and
service-learning practitioners. In addition, the Institute sponsors workshops and lectures
by artists, designers, and community activists on each of the participating CSU
campuses.
- Community Partners Meeting, Getty Center, October 2, 2000
- Service-Learning Institute for CSU Faculty, Getty Center, October 6, 2000
- Service-Learning Institute Workshop for CSU Faculty, Inner-City Arts, Los Angeles,
October 7, 2000
- Getty Service-Learning Scholars Workshop, Watts Towers Art Center, February 2,
2001
- Getty Service-Learning Scholars Workshop, Grand Central Art Center, Santa Ana,
California, March 9, 2001
- Getty Service-Learning Scholars Workshop, San Fernando Mission, Mission Hills,
California, April 6, 2001
- Getty Service-Learning Scholars Workshop, Self-Help Graphics, East Los Angeles, May
25, 2001
Reports and Evaluations
Through the Getty Linking Program, faculty, students, and community partners experienced
the long-term benefits of service learning in the arts. It not only enhanced the
relationship between the university and its surrounding communities-making the institutions
of higher learning less insular and more accessible-but it also allowed students to gain
insight into the tangible and intrinsic rewards of civic engagement and social
responsibility. As the various reports below illustrate, Linking reinforced the value of
the visual arts in our culture and imbued the spirit of service in our society.
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