Service-learning takes on many forms. It can involve university students in a molecular and cell biology course on the aging who are placed in senior citizen centers, high school geometry students who build wheelchair access ramps for disabled citizens. Or it can involve elementary school students who conduct creek restoration as part of their science curriculum. Service-learning is universal in that it can be part of any academic discipline, can take place in any community, and can involve any student regardless of age, ambition, or ability.

Findings from our studies of service-learning suggest that the engagement of students in service activities that are integrated into the academic curriculum can increase student learning, increase students' motivation toward school, build students' awareness of the society around them, provide opportunities for students to explore career options, build students' self-concept and self-esteem, and foster collaboration and unity among students of different races, ethnicities, and beliefs. As California moves towards encouraging every high school student to participate in a community-based learning experience prior to graduation, and as colleges and universities greet incoming freshmen who seek out service-learning courses, it is our mission to study the ways in which service-learning can be best utilized to provide a meaningful, educative experience for all involved.

I hope you will explore our website to get a glimpse of the various research activities of our Center and the many service-learning courses and initiatives taking place at UC Berkeley.