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extensive and complex societal and political issues. Designing
classroom norms and learning strategies that not only enhance
academic learning, but also encourage civic learning are essential to
promote civic responsibility. Through a service-learning course the
readings, discussion, research, lectures, and community experiences
should help students understand how the purchase of morning coffee
makes us all an interdependent part of the global community. Learning
about the different local organizations that serve an array of needs is
not enough. We need to think about ways to enact positive change for
the greater good. “In other words, being an engaged citizen involves
more than ‘thinking globally and acting locally;’ it means deliberately
applying our academic knowledge and skills to positively transform
ourselves, others, and organizations” (Cress, Collier, Reitenauer, and
Associates, 2013, p. 15). Service-learning prepares students to use their
academic talents to benefit the community and encourages them to
develop tolerance, acceptance to diversity, and be proactive to improve
the world.
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