Community Partners

Effective service learning requires close working relationships with partners to ensure an appropriate balance between community needs and student learning.

Community-based nonprofit organizations work closely with Notre Dame faculty members to provide quality experiences for students in these service-learning courses. These organizations are involved in developing plans, designing service activities, orienting and/or training students, providing site-based supervision, and evaluating service-learning effectiveness from the community perspective.

The  Academic and Career Enrichment Center (ACE) acts as a liaison to facilitate communication and make certain organizational and logistical expectations are clear so all parties benefit from the service-learning experience. This collaborative effort ensures that there is an appropriate balance between community needs and student learning.

Community-based organizations that partner with the University are critical to the success and sustainability of service-learning. To develop and sustain collegial relationships with community-based organizations, ACE actively participates with consortia, networks, and community-coordinating groups. Nonprofit organizations interested in developing a service-learning partnership are invited to contact ACE.