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3. Capstone Course Model
These courses are generally designed for majors and minors in a
given discipline and are offered almost exclusively to students in
their final year. Capstone courses ask students to draw upon the
knowledge they have obtained throughout their course work and
combine it with relevant service work in the community. The goal of
capstone courses is usually to encourage students either to explore
a new topic or synthesize their understanding of their discipline.
These courses offer an excellent way to help students transition
from the world of theory to the world of practice and to prepare to
apply their knowledge in their chosen career path.
4. Service Internship Model
This approach is more intensive than typical service-learning
courses, with students working as many as 10 to 20 hours a week in
a community setting. As in traditional internships, students are
generally charged with producing a body of work that is of value
to the community or site. However, unlike traditional internships,
service internships have ongoing, faculty-guided reflection to
challenge the students to analyze their new experiences using
discipline-based theories. Service internships focus on reciprocity –
the idea that the community and the student benefit equally from
the experience – but the level of oversight required by a community
partner supervisor can be highly demanding. For students, service
internships offer the opportunity to develop valuable skills while
simultaneously seeing how their skills can benefit the community.
5. Undergraduate Community-Based Action Research Model
Community-based action research is similar to an independent
study option for students who are highly experienced in
community work. This approach can be highly effective with small
classes or groups of students. In this model, students work closely
with faculty members to learn research methodology while serving
as advocates for communities. This model assumes that students
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