Join the hundreds of faculty who have participated in the Western New York Service-Learning Coalition (WNYSLC) Faculty Fellowship Program to engage over 10,000 students in community-engaged learning. Community partners who are interested in or are currently engaged in community-engaged learning are also encouraged to participate in Faculty Fellows.
This training is offered every other year. We held a successful Faculty Fellows training in January 2023 and look forward to hosting this opportunity again in 2026!
Fellowship Purpose
Service-learning faculty fellows will acquire an in-depth understanding of community engagement pedagogies and their use in service-learning courses during this intensive two-day training program facilitated by nationally recognized experts, and will be supported through the process of converting an existing course or creating a new course which incorporates service-learning.
Research demonstrates that connecting the classroom to the community through service-learning is an effective pedagogical strategy. College students who participate in civic engagement learning activities not only earn higher grade point averages but also have higher retention rates and are more likely to complete their college degree. They demonstrate improved academic content knowledge, critical thinking skills, written and verbal communication, and leadership skills. Learn the skills and techniques necessary to incorporate this effective teaching methodology.
Faculty Fellows will receive
- Professional service-learning and course conversion training and support;
- Assistance in identifying partner community groups or agencies and the opportunity to meet and converse with representatives from community organizations.
Expectations of Faculty Fellows
- Participate in both days of the service-learning faculty fellowship training.
- Design a new course or modify an existing course to include a service-learning component.
- Identify service-learning partner community organization(s) and meet with partner(s) to plan project and share service-learning objectives (e.g. syllabus).
- Teach the service-learning course during the following academic year.
- Share student reflections and feedback, if appropriate.
- Attend follow-up faculty fellow sessions as necessary.
- Maintain involvement in campus community engagement initiatives and WNYSLC.
Western New York Service Learning Coalition 