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, Engage GA, the AmeriCorps VISTA Network, and the AmeriCorps Community Food Fellows.

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).