At Notre Dame of Maryland University, we define service-learning as working and solving real world issues alongside community members. These interactions provide rich, experiential learning opportunities when coupled with guided reflection, class discussion, and skilled analysis relating to course content.

Service-learning extends education beyond your classroom into the community. If you would like to incorporate service-learning into your courses, ask your academic advisor about service-learning opportunities or reach out to the Office of Service and Community Engagement at ynowak@ndm.edu

Service-Learning Courses

Courses with a service-learning component may be offered in any discipline at the undergraduate or graduate level and are noted in the course catalog.

Consultations for Faculty, Staff, and Community Partners

Ongoing

Schedule one-on-one consultations or group meetings with a Service-Learning Faculty Fellow or the Office of Service & Community Engagement for hands-on help getting started on new service-learning syllabi, targeted feedback on syllabi-in-progress, and/or help matching potential service-learning courses to community partners.

These consultations will be approximately one-hour, though as many follow-ups as needed can be scheduled. We do ask that you schedule at least one week in advance by contacting Yetta Nowak, the Director of Community Engagement and Service Learning, at ynowak@ndm.edu.

Examples of Service Learning

Dr. Anne Henderson included service learning into her course on civic engagement.  Her students learned more about the political process, including the process of candidates seeking and winning election.  During this time, students elected to help with one of two real-world initiatives:  Either coordinating voter registration drives on campus or facilitating conversations on campus surrounding topics related to the upcoming election. 

voters

Another example of service learning involves NDMU’s freshman seminar course, NDMU 100L.  During the fall semester, freshman learned more about becoming successful students and focused in on topics such as goal setting and time management.  During the spring semester, students worked to put these skills into practice by leading academic fair workshops for middle schoolers to teach younger learners how to best prepare for college.  NDMU college freshman designed interactive sessions to teach students from Walter P. Carter Middle School and Tunbridge Public Charter Middle School about handling money, team building, active listening, time management, goal setting, stress management, healthy social media usage and conflict resolution.  Students were then treated to a meal in the cafeteria and then participated in an afternoon art or basketball clinic.  The art workshop was developed by the NDMU art department and the basketball clinic hosted by NDMU freshman basketball players.  

tungridge