Service Learning

The art and craft of teaching is one that is best learned by doing. We support a wide variety of opportunity for students to gain hands-on experience.

Duke Service-Learning

What is service-learning?

Service-learning is a teaching and learning approach that integrates community service with academic study to enrich learning, teach civic responsibility, and strengthen communities.

Service-learning in Education Courses

Service-learning is integrated into many Education courses. Students who complete the Education Minor or the Elementary or Secondary Teacher Preparation Programs will have many opportunities to learn with and from the community.

Partners For Success (PFS) coordinates service-learning field experiences for many core courses within the Program in Education:

  • EDUC 101: Social & Philosophical Foundations of Education
  • EDUC 240: Educational Psychology
  • EDUC 243S: Children, Schools, & Society
  • EDUC 321S: Infancy, Early Childhood & Educational Programs
  • EDUC 363: Educational Leadership In and Beyond the Classroom

PFS works with 13 sites in Durham to provide opportunities for Duke undergraduates to connect coursework with community service. To learn more, visit Partners For Success.

Several other Education courses have developed unique service-learning partnerships relevant to course content:

  • EDUC 111FS: Pursuit of Equality: Rethinking Schools
  • EDUC 290S: Critical Studies in Education
  • EDUC 290S: Latina/o Educational Experiences
  • EDUC 408S: Teaching Practices in Elementary Language Arts & Social Studies

Student U

Student U sign
Student U welcomed its first class of 50 students and 16 teachers in summer of 2007, as the result of a collaboration between Durham Public Schools, Durham Academy, the University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill, North Carolina Central University, and Duke University. Student U is a college-access organization that believes all students in Durham have the ability to succeed. In order to make this dream a reality, Student U creates a pipeline of services to support students through middle school, high school and college. By providing direct services during out of school time in the summer and after-school, and advocating for students and families within schools, Student U works to ensure that students develop the academic skills and personal well-being needed to beat the statistics and succeed in college. Duke students often apply to work at Student U because of the unique opportunity it provides to inspire and energize Durham Public School students. If you are interested in teaching middle or high school students over the summer, check out the Student U website for more information.