The mission of Duke's Service-Learning Program is to connect civic engagement to the curriculum.
Our goals:
To support faculty, staff, students, and community partners involved in service-learning courses, in order to foster a passion for learning and a commitment to making a difference in the world.
To broaden and deepen faculty and student involvement in service-learning and other community-based pedagogies, in order to strengthen Duke’s commitment to knowledge in the service of society.
To deepen our understanding of the outcomes of service-learning, in order to foster the intellectual, ethical, and civic development of Duke students, identify effective teaching practices, and have a meaningful impact in our community.
To participate in and contribute to the service-learning and civic engagement communities on and beyond our campus, in order to strengthen the engagement of the university in real-world issues.
The Service-Learning Program is housed within the Program in Education at Duke University. The Program in Education has been deeply involved in service-learning since the early 1990s, when tutoring programs were created which matched Duke undergraduates with children at risk for school failure.
By the Numbers in 2011-12:
27 | Departments offering SL courses |
64 | SL course sections |
1202 | Student enrollment in SL courses |
24,040 | Approximate hours of service by Duke SL students |
2010-11 Year-End Report
2010-11 was an exciting year for the Service-Learning Program at Duke. Among other accomplishments:
Duke students contributed nearly 18,000 hours of service to the community.
Thirteen new service-learning courses were offered.
Twenty service-learning grant proposals were funded, with over $10,000 allocated to support course development, service-learning projects, and conference attendance.
For the first time, fifteen service-learning courses received Service-Learning Graduate Assistants, who assisted with community partnerships, student placements, critical reflection, and research.
A new student advisory group provided input, assisted with publicity, and laid plans for a “Service-Learning Student Leadership Team” in 2011-12.
We invite you to read our 2010-11 year-end report, which outlines our mission, accomplishments, and activities, and highlights our priorities for 2011-12. Please feel free to contact us with your questions and feedback.
Office Hours with David Malone
During a live “Office Hours” webcast interview, David Malone gives an overview of service-learning at Duke and discusses how service-learning fits into Duke's larger mission of civic engagement. Watch the recording here:
Other Civic Engagement Initiatives at Duke
- Center for the Advancement of Social Entrepreneurship
- Center for Documentary Studies
- Center for Science Education
- Duke Alums Engage
- Duke Center for Civic Engagement
- Duke Community Service Center
- DukeEngage
- Duke Environmental Leadership Program
- Duke Global Health Institute
- Duke Partnership for Service (student group)
- Engineering K-PhD Program
- Hart Leadership Program
- Kenan Institute for Ethics
- Office of Durham and Regional Affairs
- Pauli Murray Project
- Pratt School of Engineering: Knowledge in the Service of Society
- Spanish Service-Learning Program
- Student Affairs
- Undergraduate Global Advising
