Service Learning Opportunities
The Core Teaching Skills service learning field experience is an educational placement designed to meet mutually identified school, community, and university needs. It is integrated into the Block 1A Core Teaching Skills Lab for an enhanced understanding of applied educational practices and pedagogy.
Service learning is a reflective activity that increases knowledge and skills over time. It provides an enriched learning experience through hands-on connections with students, teachers, and the community that contribute growth and development of personal and career skills. These connections enable teacher candidates to make concrete connections with educational pedagogy and practice, creating relationships with students, teachers, and the community through remote on-line teaching and/or face to face placements.
This program is individualized specifically to each teacher candidate’s area of interest and/or specialty of focus. Key components of this field experience are to give individualized choice in the placement to provide the opportunity to experience the application of course content in classroom and/or community settings.
Questions about Service Learning?
Do you have questions about service learning in the K-State College of Education? Would your organization would like to be included in service learning opportunities? Please contact Kaylee Myers, Coordinator for Service Learning at kayleem@k-state.edu.
Some options/ideas for Service Learning include:
- Remote Online Clubs
- Boys and Girls Club
- Cool Care Club
- Flint Hills Volunteer Center
- STEM/STEAM Opportunities
- Coaching Opportunities
- Flint Hills Discovery Center
- Wonder Workshop
- Project Thrive
- 4-H
- FFA
- CASA (Court Appointed Special Advocates)
“I think this semester of Service Learning has been so helpful for my future teaching. This experience helps with “real teaching” because you get to go into the classroom and interact with students in normal everyday surroundings. I think this was really beneficial for me because I am working my way into being in the classroom full time. If I had gone to student teaching without doing service learning this semester I would feel really out of my element. I learned a lot about interacting with students in this semester and making a connection with them.”
“I used to worry that I wouldn’t be a good teacher. However, after my Service Learning experience and the pure joy I felt when working with students, I know this is exactly what I’m meant to do.”
“Teaching is a beautiful thing. I thought I knew that before Service Learning, but now I really understand the sense of accomplishment, pride, and happiness you feel when you get to work directly with students.”