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The Urban and Community Studies program offers students the opportunity to take part in service learning assignments through various course offerings. Service learning differs from volunteering in that the work performed is directly related to what is being taught, read, and discussed in the classroom. The idea is to take learning beyond the walls of our classrooms, expose students to urban issues as a whole, allowing them to meet new people, form new ideas about urban issues, and give them some valuable work/life experiences that may help them choose their future careers. By taking part in service learning, students not only attain a greater understanding of the topics taught in the major but provide a real service to agencies in our local communities.

Students interested in taking part in service learning should consider taking URBN 1300 ” Exploring your Community ” and/or URBN 2000 “Introduction to Urban and Community Studies”. (Note: Service learning is not available in all sections of these classes, and other courses in the major may also offer this component, please feel free to check with the instructor or a program representative for further information on a specific course.)

HINT: To locate a course in the Student Administrative System (PeopleSoft) with a "Service Learning" (SL) designation, be sure to include Instruction Mode > Service Learning in your search criteria. Please note, not all courses with service learning assignments have an SL designation.

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