We engage students in UGA’s public service mission as a fundamental part of their academic experience at UGA.
Service-learning enhances student learning through the application of academic skills and knowledge to address a community-identified need, issue, or problem. Service-learning is a core part of UGA’s experiential learning requirement.
Service-learning differs from community service, internships, or field study experiences because the service activity is connected to the course learning goals through reflection and critical analysis, and seeks to balance the benefits to the student with benefits to the community partners and the public good.
The Office of Service-Learning is jointly supported by UGA’s Office of Instruction and Public Service & Outreach.
We Build Faculty Capacity
The OSL encourages community-engaged teaching and research through expanded faculty development. We offer workshops, consultations and grants, organize the annual service-learning fellows program, and present awards to faculty for their work in service-learning instruction and research.
We Support Community Partners
The OSL develops community-university partnerships for service-learning projects and placements. Some of our partnerships include Experience UGA, Campus Kitchen, Coaching4Success and Engage GA.
We Enhance Student Learning
The OSL supports student programs and opportunities for service-learning and experiential learning. These opportunities include becoming an Experience UGA Ambassador, joining Campus Kitchen, and applying to be a PSO Student Scholar. We are also starting a new youth sports and literacy tutoring program.
We Make a Positive Impact
The OSL measures the impact of service-learning through scholarship, assessment and institutional tracking. This includes our service-learning course surveys and publishing the Journal of Higher Education Outreach and Engagement (JHEOE).
News
- Experience UGA connects classrooms to campus
Zaya Roberson remembers visiting UGArden as a seventh grader in the Clarke County School District. On that Experience UGA field trip, she and her classmates tasted spicy peppers and made smoothies from the lush produce all…
Read more - Experience UGA coordinator connects Athens community with university
Aiyana Egins recognizes the impact of community involvement. As the coordinator of Experience UGA, Egins spends plenty of time showing the importance of this work to undergraduate students. Each year, the program partners with schools, colleges and…
Read more - Preserving the Herd
Cameron Berglund, lecturer with the University of Georgia’s College of Environment and Design, takes a wild approach to inspire and challenge his students. Students in Berglund’s Region Site Place Design Studio, LAND 4050S, are all in…
Read more - 2025 Service-Learning Excellence Awards
Three University of Georgia faculty members have been recognized by the Office of Service-Learning with 2025’s Service-Learning Excellence Awards. These awards recognize faculty for outstanding service-learning instruction and advancing service-learning scholarship. Since 2011, more…
Read more - UGA Service-Learning in Action at East Jackson
With support from the USDA National Institute of Food and Agriculture, the University of Georgia’s Office of Service-Learning and East Jackson Comprehensive High School are growing their partnership to introduce service-learning to a younger…
Read more - Dishing out acts of service
Over 1,300 Athens community members will have meals for Thanksgiving and the days beyond thanks to the University of Georgia’s 12th annual Turkeypalooza. The Campus Kitchen at UGA, a program coordinated by the University…
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