|  From
2000-2003, the Service Learning for Family Health (SLFH) Program
had great success. Funded by the California Service Corp
(formerly GOSERV), and supported by Community-Campus
Partnerships for Health, SLFH provided opportunities for CSU students to become
AmeriCorps members by providing a year of
service in exchange for a minimal living allowance and an educational award.
Over a three-year period, over 180 AmeriCorps members, primarily
CSU students, from several CSU campuses-Dominguez Hills, Northridge,
San Francisco, San José, Sonoma, and San Luis Obispo-provided
service to community-based health organizations by coordinating
service learners and volunteers from universities. The community
organizations benefited from the additional volunteer assistance
and the university benefited from the supportive coordination that
AmeriCorps members provided for service-learning courses. .
In particular, Service Learning for Family Health AmeriCorps members
served the campus and community in three critical ways:
- They developed new service-learning opportunities and strengthened
existing service-learning opportunities
Members provided recommendations to community partners about new
ways to utilize students’ skills, improve volunteer position descriptions,
and enhance ways to recruit students.
- They served as peer leaders.
Members organize information sessions at community partners’ sites to
train volunteers and service learners. Orientation and training are critical
in ensuring that service-learning students have rich learning experiences and
are also aware of their responsibilities.
- They supported the critical crux of service learning - the
community-university partnership.
By placing members at community partners’ sites, members had a clear
understanding about how CSU service-learning students can support community
partners’ missions, goals, and daily operations. A SLFH community
partner shared that, “this program allows us access to the campus and
to view the campus from a new perspective”
This program worked with over 4,000 service learners and volunteers
who provided over 40,000 hours of service. This partnership is a
strong example of the benefits of having a reciprocal partnership
between the community and the university-creating meaningful service
experiences for students while also meeting the needs of community
organization.
If you would like to learn more about Community-Campus Partnerships
for Health, visit www.ccph.info
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