Service Learning at Collin College

Community engagement describes the collaboration between institutions of higher education and their larger communities (local, regional/state, national, global) for the mutually beneficial exchange of knowledge and resources in a context of partnership and reciprocity.  

The purpose of community engagement is the partnership of college and university knowledge and resources with those of the public and private sectors to enrich scholarship, research, and creative activity; enhance curriculum, teaching and learning; prepare educated, engaged citizens; strengthen democratic values and civic responsibility; address critical societal issues; and contribute to the public good. 

(The Carnegie Classification of Institutions of Higher Education) 

Service Learning is service-based experiential application of course knowledge in real-world situations in which the service benefits the community.   Service-learning experiences are a component of a credit-bearing class, aligned with specific academic learning objectives, and associated with a grade. This unique method of education connects a student's personal, career, and civic interests to learning in the classroom. 

Service-learning is education in action (John Glenn).

The goals of Service Learning are multi-faceted:  to enhance academic comprehension through hands-on application of course knowledge, skills and abilities in an experiential learning environment; to contribute to the community by addressing and  meeting community need through research and service; to develop effective servant leaders through holistic leadership development; to apply critical thinking and problem-solving skills to the learning process;  and to foster  reciprocal relationships among the student, faculty, educational institution and the community partner. 

Service learning improves academic performance; increases student retention;  enhances student learning through application of knowledge / skills / abilities; develops effective servant leaders; meets community need;  reaffirms students' career goals by expanding career knowledge, opportunity and work experience;  strengthens personal character and sense of social responsibility; and motivates students to further engage in the college community; and increased sustainability in the community.

• Carnegie Foundation for the Advancement of Teaching Community Engagement Classification. 
• President's Higher Education Community Service Honor Roll 
• Founding member of Campus to Community Coalition of Texas (formally Texas Campus Compact). 
   
  Collin College's Service-Learning program also received the Campus Compact National Center for Community Colleges Collaboration Award, the nation's highest honor for service-learning programs in community colleges. National Campus Compact has recognized Collin College's Service-Learning program as a model of exemplary civic engagement practices. The Service-Learning program also received the national Bellwether Award in collaboration with the Learning Communities program.